Two child fatalities in Turkey highlight road safety risks
In Denizli's Baklan district, 12‑year‑old Orhan Karakoç died after a tractor overturned while he attempted to remove a pesticide sprayer attached to the vehicle. The accident occurred in the Günlük neighbourhood, and the child, a sixth‑grade student and football player, was found under the toppled tractor and pronounced dead by emergency responders. Police opened an investigation and his body was taken to the local forensic institute.
In Kocaeli's Gebze district, 16‑year‑old Berat Eker was fatally injured when he was trapped between the trailer of a maneuvering truck and a garden wall on the sidewalk. The truck driver, Özcan Ç., was detained by police, and an inquiry into the crash's cause has been launched. Eker's body was also sent to the regional medical examiner's office.
Both incidents have drawn attention to safety measures around agricultural and heavy‑vehicle operations in Turkey, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and public awareness.