Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency:  Newsflash

The former Turkish Army sergeant accused of murdering his wife and two teen kids has reportedly confessed that he killed them because he was “depressed” at facing a lengthy military jail term.

Turgay Mert, 47, an ex-sergeant in the Turkish Army, is currently in prison for strangling his wife Aynur Mert, 41 and children Aleyna Mert, 16, and Ahmet Ali Mert, 14, to death in the district of Iskenderun in the Turkish province of Hatay on 29th September.

The new site Haberturk reported on a statement recently released by Mert that gave details on why he allegedly killed his family.

Mert said: “I was wanted for the crime of violating military law. I thought I would go to prison if I was caught. That’s why I was depressed.

“I thought that if I went to prison, my wife and children would be left behind, I killed them in order not to leave them on their own.”

The victims’ dead bodies were found when Mert told his neighbour, identified only as H.A., to enter his house.

Mert told H.A.: “The key to my apartment is in the mailbox. Get the key, go inside, but you will face very nasty things. Don’t let anyone know. Just look at it.”

H.A. called the suspect back, but could not reach him. Seeing that the lights in the apartment were on, she called Mert’s wife.

When the wife failed to answer the phone, she went to the police station and explained the situation.

Police officers, firefighters, and medical teams were then sent to the address.

The Iskenderun District Police team entered the apartment on the third floor with the key found in the mailbox.

Officers then encountered the dead bodies of Aynur and her children lying side by side with the Turkish flag over them. The suspect’s military uniform was also found folded neatly on a seat next to the corpses.

The bodies were sent to Adana Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy after a preliminary investigation at the scene.

Mert was identified as a main suspect and arrested in the city of Osmaniye before being taken back to Iskenderun for questioning.

He reportedly admitted to strangling his wife with his bare hands during an argument, adding: “Then I waited for my son Ahmet Ali, who is a student at Iskenderun Demir Celik Anatolian High School, to come home.

“When he arrived, I gave him buttermilk, in which I put sleeping pills. He didn’t want to drink it and said ‘Dad, this is bitter’. I strangled him to death as well.

“Later, I waited for my daughter, who was studying in the same high school. When my daughter came home, I strangled her too. After killing them all, I fled to Osmaniye”, he was quoted as saying.

The victims were buried side by side in Osmaniye.

The investigation is ongoing.