Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul Deputy Mahmut Tanal has proposed a law to the Parliament that already exists, demanding the civil victims of terrorist attacks be deemed "martyrs" for their family to benefit from the rights this affords.

Tanal presented the proposal on Aug. 15 in which he stated that 15-year-old Eren Bülbül should be deemed a martyr and his family should be given the necessary rights and benefits.

Bülbül lost his life on Aug. 11 in northeastern Trabzon province while he was helping gendarmes track PKK terrorists who were stealing food supplies from a house.

Gendarmerie Master Sgt. Ferhat Gedik, 41, was injured in the same incident and later died as well.

Tanal reasoned that Eren put his own life at risk and was murdered during civil duty and, therefore, he has to be considered to be a "martyr."

The scope of the law related to "civil martyrs" and the rights their relatives were extended in 2012 were established with the directive of then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to this law, a public official or civilian victim of terrorism's wife or child and sibling would be employed by the state.

However, if the public official or civilian victim of terrorism was single, a sibling can become a civil servant, and others would be employed in the Foundations of Social Help in Solidarity.

Tanal has been subjected to criticism on social media since under the current law, civilian martyrs' families can officially benefit from the defined rights.

One Twitter user said, "He is officially defined as a civilian martyr, if you do not know this, what is your job in Turkey?"

Upon the attack, the public again condemned the PKK and showed solidarity against it. Thousands of people posted messages on Twitter in commemoration of Bülbül, with the hashtag #iyikivarsınEren (gladtohaveyouEren).

CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also condemned the attack in a tweet: "You are so low as to fire a bullet at a 15-year-old boy."

Even so, Kılıçdaroğlu also faced criticism on social media on the grounds that he did not mention the name of the perpetrators of this attack.

Although Kılıçdaroğlu did not mention the PKK, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) bashed the terrorist group.

Delivering a speech at AK Party's 16th anniversary celebrations on Aug 14, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said, "The PKK terrorists who murdered Eren will pay for this."