Four Turkish soldiers and two drivers died and 27 other troops were injured on Monday after a bus carrying them toppled in the southern province of Mersin, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said.
A technical failure and faded brakes caused the accident, Akar said after visiting the scene of the accident. An inspection would determine the exact cause of the crash, he added.
The 27 injured soldiers were taken to hospital, four of whom were intubated, he said.
The soldiers were en route to the Mediterranean port of Taşucu, where they would then be dispatched southward to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Visiting wounded soldiers at the Mut State Hospital, Mersin Governor Ali Ihsan Su told reporters that initial reports indicated the crash occurred because of brake failure.
"It was a civilian bus carrying the soldiers. The cause for the crash was probably brake fade, but the investigation continues," Su said.
He added that some of the wounded soldiers were in critical condition and being treated, while the remaining had not suffered life-threatening injuries.
