Turkey: Death of soldiers due to cold faces probe

By Tuncay Bekar

TUNCELI, Turkey (AA) - There will be an official investigation of the deaths of two Turkish soldiers due to hypothermia in eastern Turkey, said local officials on Saturday.

The deaths of the gendarmes, in Tunceli, in an area that had received heavy snowfall, will face a judicial and administrative investigation, said the Tunceli Governor's Office.

After being evacuated to a hospital by helicopter, the soldiers died despite efforts to save them.

They had been taking part in a counter-terror operation against the PKK, according to the governor's office.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people.