Islam Times - Suicide claims more Turkey troop lives than combat: Defense minister

Islam Times - Suicide rate in the Turkish army over the past 10 years outnumbers soldier fatalities during combats over the same period, Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz says.

Over the past 10 years, 965 Turkish soldiers have committed suicide, while the army’s fatalities during its operations have been 601 soldiers over the period, Yilmaz said on Saturday in response to a parliamentary inquiry by pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party.

The Turkish defense minister cited drug addiction, domestic disputes, financial problems, maltreatment, mental disorders and adaptation problems as the major reasons behind the high suicide rate among the soldiers.

Most of the Turkish army’s fatalities have occurred during the combats against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s. Clashes between Turkish forces and PKK members have claimed around 45,000 lives since starting in 1984.