Working at Altındağ Municipality, Martyr Celalettin İbiş was 53 years old and the father of four children. He went out with his friends upon hearing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call. Arriving at the General Staff building, he was shot in the back by a putschist soldier, while he was trying to save another soldiers life, he became a martyr on the spot.
Escaped helicopter attacks, got shot by sniper in the back
On duty the evening of July 15th, he went to the AK Party District building after his shift was over. First going to Ulus, then to Kızılay, then occupying a tank with his friends from the governance, he lastly reported to his son Yasin that they were in front of the General Staff building.
Noting that his father saved a soldier and gave him some water in a cottage in front of the General Staff building, Yasin said that a helicopter came over and immediately started raking the cottage door with gunfire where his father was at. Escaping from the helicopter fire and getting shot in the back by snipers at the next round of shootings, Yasin noted that people tried to help his father, but putschists didn’t let them do so. Saying, “It is horrible outside, protect the children,” in his last conversation with his wife, Martyr İbiş lost his life on the spot.
“I traded my father for my country”
Reporting that he was at the Yozgat Cumhuriyet Square during the coup attempt, the martyr’s other son Çağrı said, “My father was also in front of the General Staff building for the democracy fight. I spoke to him on the phone several times. I told him to go home in one of our conversations. As we spoke, I heard gunshots and bombings. I heard people crying, ‘God!’ The phone went off. Crying, I called my father one more time after a couple of minutes. My father said, ‘they dropped a bomb near us, but I am fine, son,’ and hung up. I traded my father for my country.” Çağrı stated that his father was shot and martyred 15 minutes after their last contact.
Words of Çağrı, “I traded my father for my country,” were printed and hung on the AK Party Yozgat Provincial Directorate building.
“Ahmet, I’ve been shot...”
Ahmet Arık, who was with his friend Celalettin, as he was shot, spoke to Yeni Şafak about that night and said, “Snipers on the roof of the General Staff targeted civilians and fired their guns. Celalettin and I took cover lying on the ground. Two minutes later, Celalettin showed me the blood on his hand and said, ‘Ahmet, I’ve been shot.’ Those were his last words. I called for help. As we were helping Celalettin, they raked gunfire at us from a helicopter and I was shot in the leg. Later on, a friend carried us to the ambulance without noticing being shot in the stomach. He thought the blood on him came from us, he realized that he was shot only when he checked. My dear friend, my companion Celalettin drew his last breath beside me. We went out there to die that night. F-16s were flying too close to scare the crowd away, we could even feel its warmth. Some of our friends’ eardrums burst but they didn’t notice. We went out there on that night with our faith from God. This country is carrying the flag of Islam.”
Celalettin İbiş was buried in the Ankara Karşıyaka Cemetery.
The name Martyr Celalettin İbiş was given to an elementary school in Altındağ, Ankara.
