$142,000 granted to family of ISIL bombing victim insufficient: Complainant

ANKARA

A recent court ruling that awarded the family of a victim killed in the 2015 twin bomb attack in Ankara a total of 500,000 Turkish Liras ($142,000) in damages has stirred debate, with the relative of another victim saying the compensation should have been higher.

Following the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) bombing on Oct. 10, 2015, which was the deadliest terror attack ever carried out in Turkey, Hasan Baykara’s wife, four children, mother and three siblings filed an application to the Interior Ministry and claimed 2,800,000 Turkish Liras ($790,000) in damages for mental anguish, as the state could not prevent the bombing from happening. The Ankara 6th Administrative Court, however, ruled to grant the family 500,000 liras.  

Lawyer Mehtap Sakinci Coşgun, who also lost her husband in the bombing, told daily Hürriyet that she found the compensation granted to the family by the court insufficient. Coşgun herself also reportedly applied to the Interior Ministry for compensation after she lost her husband, Uygar Coşkun, in the attack. 

Coşgun, also the head of a foundation called 10 October Peace and Solidarity Foundation (“10 Ekim-Der”) which was found by the family members of the victims, said she sued the Interior Ministry and the Ankara Governor’s Office for 1.7 million liras ($494,000) in damages but her case had not been finalized yet. 

“After the [Ankara] train station attack almost 90 lawsuits were filed. There were a total of 101 dead and 450 injured [in the attack]. Hasan Baykara’s wife was granted 50,000 liras. For the whole family, the awarded non-pecuniary damages amount to 500,000 liras. This number is very insufficient. Even in traffic accidents wives are granted a higher number,” Coşgun told daily Hürriyet.

“As for the case of non-pecuniary damages, social and financial conditions are taken into consideration according to the law. If you have a minimum wage job, even if you claim a compensation of 5,000 liras the decision of ‘1,000 liras is enough for you’ is given,” she added.

“The identification of Haran Baykara took place four days after his funeral. Is 50,000 liras the amount to be granted to a wife in the face of such a death? But our issue is not with money. Let me pay back 50,000 liras if they can bring my husband back,” Coşgun said. 

In a recently made decision, the Ankara 6th Administrative Court ruled that Baykara’s wife will be paid 50,000 liras, each of his four children 75,000 liras, his mother 75,000 liras and each of his siblings 25,000 liras in non-pecuniary damages.