BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 25. Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliev expressed condolences in a message over the deaths of servicemen during military exercises on the Caspian Sea coast on September 24, according to the OTS.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of lives during the military exercises conducted by the Naval Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea.
On behalf of the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States and on my own behalf, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen servicemen, as well as to the brotherly people and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
At this difficult time, our thoughts and sympathies are with our Kazakh brothers and sisters. We stand in solidarity with brotherly Kazakhstan and share the sorrow caused by this tragic incident.
I also wish all injured servicemen a swift and full recovery,” the message says.
On September 24, 17 Kazakh servicemen were swept into the open sea due to a sudden and sharp deterioration in weather conditions while carrying out a combat training mission. Three servicemen were rescued, while 14 died.
Following the incident, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister ordered the establishment of a government commission to investigate the causes of the servicemen’s deaths in the Mangystau region.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared September 25 a national day of mourning over the tragedy.
So far, five officials from Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry system have been detained as part of a pre-trial investigation into the deaths of the servicemen.
