The tragic death of an Armenian Turkish soldier serving in the military on April 24 - the day the Armenian Diaspora marks the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide - could not have been an accident, as was officially claimed, the young man's fiancee said.

Sevag Sahin Balıkcı (25) died on April 24 when, according to official reports, his friend's rifle accidentally discharged. The military said the two boys were “joking around” with their rifles before the accident, Today’s Zaman reported.

However, his fiancee, Melani Kumruyan, does not believe that Balıkcı's death was accidental. In statements made to various Turkish newspapers y, she said: “An investigation into this is under way. I want the truth to come out as soon as possible. I don't think it happened when they were joking around. I knew Sevag really well. He was not someone who would joke around with guns.”

Kumruyan and Balıkcı, who both lived in the Kurtulus neighborhood of Istanbul, met when they were 17 and got engaged with the blessing of both families two years ago.

The Sabah daily quoted Kumruyan as saying: “I don't believe that it was an accident at all. The senior sergeant had beaten him up over a lost 50 lira bill.”