A court in Ankara ruled on Wednesday that the Interior Ministry and Ankara Governor’s Office pay 400,000 Turkish lira (over $60,000) in non-pecuniary damages to the family of a person who was killed in an attack on the Ankara train station on October 10, 2015.
According to a report by the pro-government Hürriyet Daily News, the court stated 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 the safety of life and property of the 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 adequate 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, demanding 700,000 Turkish lira in damages.
The Interior Ministry and Ankara Governor’s Office said in their defense that the incident was a terrorist attack, that all security measures were taken and that therefore the payment of non-pecuniary damages was not possible.
