Compensation to be paid to 2015 Ankara attack victim’s family

ANKARA – Demirören News Agency

An Ankara court on Sept. 5 ruled for the Interior Ministry and Ankara Governor’s Office to pay 400,000 Turkish Liras (approximately $60,440) in non-pecuniary damages to the family of a victim who was killed in a 2015 Ankara train station attack.

The court said in its decision that although authorities had certain intelligence, they failed to show “enough sensitivity” on the issue of necessary security measures to be taken, ruling that a “neglect of duty” had occurred.

“The protection of safety of life and property of people is the state’s fundamental duty. It is obvious that the authorities need to fulfill this duty, organize the police forces to ensure public order and well-being, provide the necessary tools and resources, and take enough measures at the right time,” the Ankara 12th Administrative Court said.

The court’s decision came after Mesut Mak’s family sued the Interior Ministry and Ankara Governor’s Office with a demand of compensation of 700,000 liras.

The Interior Ministry and Ankara Governor’s Office said in their defense that the incident was a terror attack, all the security measures were taken, and therefore compensation for non-pecuniary damages was not possible.

The lawyer who filed the case on behalf of the victim’s family said on Sept. 5 that they had sued the authorities based on an article in the constitution which says: “The state is responsible for compensating the damages stemming from its own actions and operations.”

Barış Yıldırım, the president of the bar association of the eastern province of Tunceli, said that despite there being intelligence about a potential attack on the day of the incident, authorities had not taken enough security measures.

The Ankara bombing on Oct. 10, 2015 was the deadliest terror attack carried out in Turkey by ISIL, with suicide bombers targeting NGOs and supporters of left-wing parties holding a peace rally outside the capital’s main train station, weeks ahead of the Nov. 1, 2015 general election. The attack left 102 people dead.

On Aug. 3, nine suspects standing trial in the case were each handed 101 life sentences.