Doubts about the circumstances surrounding the death late Saturday or early Sunday of a British aid worker transiting through Turkey's main airport were mounting. But the family members of Jacqueline Sutton on Wednesday announced that Turkish authorities have presented them with evidence, including CCTV footage, that has convinced them for now that her death was self-inflicted.
In a statement, posted to the website of Sutton's employer, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), her family members say they have reached a "preliminary conclusion" that no one else was involved in her death.
"The family is satisfied with the investigation undertaken by the Turkish authorities," Jenny Sutton, the deceased's sister, was quoted as saying in the statement. "We were deeply skeptical about initial reports. But based on the evidence we have seen, at this stage we believe that Jacky acted alone."
Turkish press reports citing unnamed sources said Sutton, a 50-year-old longtime veteran of conflict zones who was transiting through Istanbul from London to northern Iraq, hanged herself in a bathroom at Ataturk International Airport using her shoelaces after becoming distraught over missing a connecting flight and complaining that she didn't have enough money to purchase a new ticket.
Stunned friends and colleagues of Sutton immediately raised suspicions about the circumstances surrounding her death. They wondered how someone who had survived years in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans could become so distraught over a missed flight as to hang herself. Other Turkish media reported that she had the equivalent $2,500 cash on her person, more than enough to purchase a ticket from Istanbul to the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Irbil. CCTV footage released publicly appeared to show no signs of Sutton in distress.
But Sutton's loved ones says Turkish authorities have "cooperated fully" and provided the family with "access to the complete dossier of evidence" on the case, including copies of security camera video footage and stills.
"Comprehensive CCTV footage with no apparent time gaps, still photographs, witness statements, a viewing of the body by her sister, and a site visit by IWPR and the family all indicate that Jacky was alone and that there was no sign of struggle," said the statement. "There is no evidence that any item or material was involved in the incident other than items already in her possession."
The statement further ruled out robbery, noting that Sutton had plenty of cash and two credits on her person when she was discovered.
The family will seek an independent investigation once the Turkish authorities complete their probe, the statement said, noting "there remains the possibility that additional information will come to light."