Married for two years and father of one, 27-year-old, Murat Akdemir was shot in 14 different places by putschist troops in Çengelköy, on the night of July 15th. Reciting God’s name as soon as he was shot, Akdemir’s last words were, “Are you witnesses to my martyrdom?”
He heard about the coup attempted by the Gülenist Terrorist Organization on the evening of July 15th. Operating a restaurant in the district of Anadoluhisarı with his father, Akdemir went to his parent’s house, who lived above him, after hearing President Erdoğan’s call. He said that he would go out to the streets to defend his country. Upon his mother’s unwillingness to let him go, “Our leader is calling us, mother. I am going out to become a martyr,” he said and left.
Going to Çengelköy with his friends, he joined the patriotic crowd gathered there. After a while, a group consisting of 30-40 soldiers, including Kuleli Military High School Deputy Commander Colonel Mehmet Karapekmez, approached the crowd. Firstly, Colonel Karapekmez shouted that the crowd to go away, then he hit windows of cars passing by with his gunstock and fired his rifle around. Akdemir wanted to stop the colonel, yet, he failed.
Martyred by being shot in 14 different places
As the soldiers started building barricades, anti-coup civilians hid behind the walls. By the firing order of putschist commanders, furious troops started raking the crowd gathered to defend democracy. Meanwhile, calling his son, İsmail Akdemir yelled, “Son, come home right now!” However, Murat Akdemir could only reply, “Ah!” Colonel Mehmet Karapekmez, who ran out of bullets in his rifle, took another soldier’s rifle and continued firing at civilians and shot Murat Akdemir in 14 spots.
Reciting God’s name as soon as he was seriously wounded, Akdemir’s last words were, “Are you witnesses to my martyrdom?” Akdemir, who was taken into surgery at the hospital, could not be saved.
Originally from Rize, Martyr Akdemir was buried at Kandilli Cemetery, after the funeral prayer, attended by thousands.
