Adil Büyükcengiz became a martyr during the July 15th coup attempt when he was shot in the back by the FETÖ traitors. He was martyred in Saraçhne, one of the primary places of bloodshed, on that monumental night. His daughters and wife tried to persuade him not to go out but his response was, “Our president is calling people out so I must go.”
“Are we going to leave the country to these traitors?”
Adil was 52 years old and the father of 3 daughters. He was in his Mother’s house when he found out about the coup attempt from the TV and he took action upon President Erdoğan’s call. He had a conversation with his wife on the phone around 00:30, despite Aysel Büyükcengiz’s efforts to hinder her husband from going, “Things are becoming dangerous, soldiers are firing guns,” Aydil replied to his wife, “Are we going to leave the country to these traitors?” His daughters also tried to stop him, but he didn’t step down and instead, he hung up the phone and continued to march towards Saraçhane. This was the last time Aydil spoke with his family. 
Hours of searching
Aysel followed the news with her children until 05:00. Calling her husband at 10:30 in the morning, Aysel said, “I called him, but he didn’t pick up. He wouldn’t normally do that. I called him at work, yet, no answers. Then I knew something was wrong, and I started searching police stations. I went to the police department on Vatan Street. In the meantime, I kept calling him on the phone, and eventually, someone picked up.” Aysel stated that her husband’s phone was picked up by someone else, this person found Adil’s phone after he dropped it when he was shot and was being carried to the vehicle. After hearing that her husband was wounded, they searched all of the hospitals on the European Side until 20:30; however, they were unable to find him. So they went to the Forensic Medicine Unit and finally found Adil’s martyred body.
After finding her husband’s body, Ayşe stated that they had a 16-year-old daughter studying painting at fine art high school, an 18-year-old studying at a pilot training school and a 20-year-old studying Business Administration at Koç University.
Adil Büyükcengiz was buried in the Edirnekapı Cemetery after his funeral prayer was performed at the Zeytinburnu Yenidoğan Mosque.
The name Martyr Adil Büyükcengiz was given to an Anatolian Imam Hatip High School in Pendik, İstanbul.
