Sevag Balıkçı Sevag Şahin Balıkçı ( April 1 , 1986 – April 24 , 2011 ) was a Turkish soldier of Armenian descent who was killed during military service . The incident occurred on April 24 , 2011 , the day of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide . Death . Sevag Balıkçı was killed in Batman , southeastern Turkey where he was serving his last 23 days as a conscripted private . According to official reports from military commanders in Batman given to the Balıkçı family , Sevag was killed unintentionally while " joking around " with his friend . The family believed the initial reports and claimed that their son should not be considered a martyr since he died accidentally . Sevag ' s fiancée did not believe in the initial report because her conversations on the phone with Sevag suggested a different version of the events . The funeral was at the Feriköy Surp Vartanants Armenian church . Attendees of the funeral included Rakel Dink ( wife of murdered Armenian journalist Hrant Dink ) , Government Minister Egemen Bağış , Şişli Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül , top military commanders , and other politicians like Adalar Mayor Mustafa Farsakoğlu . He was buried in the Şişli Armenian Cemetery . According to Balıkçı lawyer Cem Halavurt , an investigation conducted on May 1 , 2011 into the background of the suspect Kıvanç Ağaoglu revealed that he was an ultra - nationalist through his internet social networks which were shut down after the incident . Through his Facebook profile , it was discovered that he was a sympathizer of nationalist politician Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and Abdullah Çatlı , who himself had a history of Anti - Armenian activity such as the Armenian Genocide Memorial bombing in a Paris suburb in 1984 . His Facebook profile also showed that he was a Great Union Party ( BBP ) sympathizer , a far - right nationalist party in Turkey . Trial . The ongoing court proceedings take place at the 2nd Air Force Command Court Martial Court in Diyarbakır . The Balıkçı family is represented by lawyer Cem Halavurt while Kıvanç Ağaoglu is represented by lawyer İbrahim Gök . The Balıkçı family insists that the shooting was not accidental but intentional and the suspect should be charged with murder . The Turkish Military Prosecutor ’ s Office demands a nine - year sentence for Kıvanç Ağaoğlu , and on a charge of “ murder as a result of negligence . ” Kıvanç Ağaoğlu continues to deny all charges of first - degree murder insisting that his gun went off accidentally . Upon suspicion of negligence among the commanders at the military station , non - commissioned officer Sadrettin Ersöz who is represented by lawyer Yalçın Torun is also charged with negligence in the alleged killing . During the trial ' s first hearing on July 24 , 2011 , Kıvanç Ağaoğlu was set free . During the trial an eyewitness provided details regarding the shooting . The eyewitness testified that Kıvanç Ağaoğlu threatened Sevag by saying , " " I will kill you fatty ! " " . During the trial ' s fifth hearing on December 27 , 2011 , testimony emerging from Halil Ekşi , a conscripted soldier who was serving in the same military unit as Sevag Balıkçı , stated that Balıkçı ' s death was not accidental as the official reports suggest , but intentional . This was a reversal of Ekşi ' s original testimony which portrayed the killing as an accident . He changed his position because his " conscience didn ' t allow " ( vicdanım elvermiyor ) him to continue with the original testimony . The testimony also suggested that Halil Ekşi was visited by Kıvanç Ağaoğlu ' s uncle Bülent Kaya who wrote the testimony with Ekşi himself , suggesting pressure was applied towards the eyewitnesses . The Balıkçı family lawyer Cem Halavurt declared that a new lawsuit will be filed against the uncle and sister of Ağaoğlu for the obstruction of justice . The judge during the hearing also stated that it was a " matter of honor " for him to reach a fair verdict in the case . Testimony given by Sevag Balıkçı ' s fiancée on March 30 , 2012 stated that he was subjected to psychological pressure at the military compound . His fiance was told by Sevag through telephone conversations with him that he feared for his life because a certain military serviceman threatened him by saying , " If war were to happen with Armenia , you would be the first person I would kill " . According to the testimony , Sevag was also under pressure to convert to Islam . During the trial ' s ninth hearing on November 5 , 2012 , defense lawyer İbrahim Gök requested a media ban on all further hearings . Prosecuting attorney Cem Halavurt rejected the proposal stating that " " If there is a press ban in this court , will Turkey stop talking about the Armenian issue ? Or will people not talk about deaths in the army ? This is why we demand that the press ban be overruled . Even if we don ' t like certain thoughts , we should treat them as part of free speech in a democratic society . " " İbrahim Gök claimed that the trial was becoming " politicized " and that the case has nothing to do with the events of 1915 ( referring to the Armenian Genocide ) . The request for a press ban was rejected . The trial will continue on January 25 , 2013 , with its tenth hearing , before which a requested forensic report is expected to be issued . On March 26 , 2013 a court ruled that the incident was accidental and sentenced Kıvanç Ağaoğlu for four years and five months in prison . Justice Initiative . A justice initiative was launched in Turkey devoted to the case of Sevag Balıkçı . Members of the panel include the mother of Sevag , Ani Balıkçı , Arat Dink , Kerem Kabadayı , Ufuk Uras , Rakel Dink , and others . The initiative protested the court ' s decision in letting suspect Kıvanç Ağaoğlu free and proclaimed that Sevag was murdered due to a hate crime . Kerem Kabadayı remarked that " If this hate crime goes unpunished , the Armenian youth in Turkey will be under threat . "