Suicidal Pole-Climber Relied on Professional Expertise

expert links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 18 March 2012)

In Kocaeli, Mustafa Ergen (47) climbed a high-tension electrical pole
because he'd been abandoned by his girlfriend. The 'Policeman of the Year'
talked him down. Ergen went to Kocaeli in pursuit of the woman who
jilted him and climbed the electrical pole as soon as he got off the bus.
A weeping Ergen threatened suicide and demanded that 'my Hatice be
brought to me.' He was talked down by Nurettin Kocaman, who had
been selected as Kocaeli's 'Policeman of The Year.'

Ergen began living with Hatice T. nine months ago in Ordu, without
the benefit of an official marriage. When she returned to Karamürsel
district of Kocaeli, Ergen got very upset so he set out by bus from Ordu
for Koacaeli in pursuit of Hatice. Upon getting off the bus he scampered
up the high-tension electrical pole across from the bus terminal and
began to wail 'Hatice'. Local citizens called the police, 112 Emergency
Service and the fire department.

The police who spoke with Ergen reached Hatice's relatives and were
told that Ergen had lived with their daughter for nine months but had
not officially married her. Despite all police efforts, Ergen wouldn't
come down from the pole and threatened that 'if they don't bring my
Hatice here within a half hour I'll throw myself to the ground.' At this
point, Nurettin Kocaman of the Murder Bureau, who had just been
named 'Policeman of the Year', approached Ergen via a fire department
lift. Kocaman successfully persuaded Ergen to desist and they both
boarded the lift to reach the ground.

Ergen was taken to the Kocaeli University Medical Faculty Hospital.
It has been learned that the high-tension line carries a charge of
170,000 volts and that SEDAŞ (electricity utility) teams had cut off
the power when Ergen climbed the pole. Consequently, a large area
lost electricity for about one hour.

Mustafa Ergen's job in Ordu is the repair and maintenance of electricity
poles.