There was a lot of reaction to the condolence dinner of the martyr's family: The Mayor apologized: 'There is no excuse for this...'

37-year-old Petty Officer Hüseyin Zehir, who was martyred in the military helicopter crash in Malatya, was sent off to his final journey with a ceremony held in his hometown, Hatay's Payas district. Images of the condolence table set up at the house of the martyr's family after the funeral went viral on social media.

Following the allegations that the food was sent by Hatay Metropolitan Municipality, the deficiencies on the table attracted reaction. A lot of criticism was directed to Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Öntürk on social media. Users expressed their reactions with the following expressions: "Is someone who does not send decent food to the house of the martyr's family to rule the whole city?", "If you were one of those who ate this meal at the condolence house, there would be no problems", "Disgrace! Don't be ashamed, there is nothing to conscience" and "Shame on you".

APOLOGY MESSAGE FROM MAYOR ÖNTÜRK

Following the reactions, Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Öntürk made a statement on his social media account and apologized to the family of the martyrs and the residents of the city. Admitting that there was a lack of condolence dinner, Öntürk stated that he initiated an investigation into the incident.

Öntürk used the following statements in his statement:

"I apologize to our family and fellow citizens for the disruption in the condolence of our martyr Petty Officer Hüseyin Zehir, the son of our Payas. There was a deficiency in the food sent to our martyr's house. There is no excuse for this. It is our duty to set a table properly for the guests of our martyr. If we could not do this, the responsibility is ours."

WHAT HAPPENED?

Sikorsky S-70 type military helicopter belonging to the Land Forces Command crashed in Samanköy District of Yeşilyurt district of Malatya. A ceremony was held at Mürted Airfield Command for the soldiers who were martyred in the accident. The bodies of 3 of the 4 martyred soldiers were sent to their hometowns after the ceremony.