Turkish prosecutor demands life over engagement massacre in southeast

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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The indictment, filed at the Public Prosecutor's Office in the southeastern province of Mardin, demands that the suspects be sentenced to life with no chance of parole on 44 counts of premeditated murder, according to the reports.

The suspects also risk additional jail sentences of up to 200 years for the 10 people injured in carnage in the Mazidagi district of Mardin.

The charge sheet demands 17 years in jail for another suspect who was not believed to be among the gunmen but who was found to be in possession of hand grenades during the investigation.

Prosecutors are continuing to investigate another suspect, who is a minor, the reports added.

The trial is expected to start in the coming days in Mardin.

Masked gunmen armed with assault rifles attacked the engagement party in the Bilge village of Mazidagi on May 4, killing 44 people, including six children and 16 women, and injuring three others. The bride, the groom, his parents and 4-year-old sister, as well as three pregnant women were among the dead.

The carnage, which sent shockwaves across Turkey, is believed to have been motivated by long-running hostilities between rival families.

The prosecutor said in the indictment that he found no evidence to support the claim, but offered no motive for the carnage.

Most of the suspects are members of state-supported "village guard" units, and are related to the victims.