Should Turkey's military, civilian contractors be treated differently?
Civilian personnel working for the Turkish military hope to achieve equal footing with their military counterparts as a nationwide conversation unfolds in the wake of the Ankara bombing.
The suicide bombing in Ankara Feb. 17 is shining a spotlight on the disparity between the treatment of official military personnel and civilian contractors.
Among the 29 people killed in the attack were 13 civilian workers at the Chief of Military Staff headquarters and nearby service commands. While the officers and noncommissioned officers killed in the attack were buried in military cemeteries after military funerals, the civilian staffers were not given such a grand farewell.
The families of the officers and NCOs who lost their lives will receive a one-time compensatory payment of about $30,000. They will be entitled to "martyrs'" salaries and two members of each family will be offered public employment. Will the families of the slain civilian workers receive the same benefits?
The initial official reaction was that the civilian victims will be given benefits equal to those of the military personnel, but many doubt whether this promise can be fulfilled under existing law.
