Cevdet Kılıçlar
Encyclopedia
Cevdet Kılıçlar was a Turkish
journalist and photographer from Kayseri
. He had been a correspondent of the Islamist daily newspaper Anadolu'da Vakit. He was an aid worker and responsible for website of The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (Turkish: İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı). He was married to Derya Kılıçlar and had two children, Gülhan and Ali Erdem. He was killed in the Gaza flotilla raid
. According to his widow, Derya, he was prepared to become a martyr for the Palestinian cause.
, high school education in Adana
and graduated from Marmara University
's Faculty of Communications.
for an Islamist daily newspaper Millî Gazete and then an Islamist weekly newspaper Selam. Selam newspaper, which was the publishing organisation of Tevhid Selam, was claimed to be supported by Iran
and known its intimacy with the Welfare Party
and Turkish Hizbullah. And after the beginning of "Umut Operation" related to the assassination of Ugur Mumcu
, on May 8, 2000, as the press coordinator of Selam, he announced that there has been no relationship with the former administrators of Selam for three years after February 28 process. However on May 9, 2000 Selam was raided by Turkish security forces and banned. Because of increasing pressure from the Turkish government he was forced to go to Germany
.
he worked as correspondent and editor in chief for Islamist daily newspapers Vakit. He was a correspondent in the Palestinian territories
and Egypt
. In March 2008 as the correspondent of Vakit newspaper, he was staying in Egypt to cross over into Palestine. When he took the picture of wall built by Egypt
ian government, near the Rafah Border Crossing, he was arrested and interrogated by Directorate of Military Intelligence Services and Reconnaissance of Egypt (Egyptian military intelligence service) for five hours.
ship during Gaza flotilla raid
.
The IHH president Bülent Yıldırım said:
"Our Cevdet, he is a press member. He has become a martyr
. All he was doing was taking pictures. They smashed his skull into pieces. We soon made out that these were real bullets they were firing. Rubber bullets also kill because you shoot at very close range, between one-and-a-half and two meters."
His funeral service was held at the Beyazit Mosque in Istanbul on June 4, 2010. And after Salat al-Janazah he was laid to rest in a coffin at Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery
beside the grave of Metin Yüksel
, who was one of leaders of Akıncılar.
Demetre Plionis, a Greek activist abroad Mavi Marmara said: “A half hour after the attack, despite electronic warfare, the “Mavi Marmara” ship continued to broadcast images on the internet thanks to a sophisticated system run by a Turkish volunteer. Then, I saw him dead after he was shot in the head.” referring to Cevdet Kılıçlar. “The broadcast was discontinued when the person who was running the network was killed,” he added.
The Director-General of UNESCO
, Irina Bokova
condemned the killing of Turkish journalist Cevdet Kılıçlar, stating, "I trust that an inquiry that meets international requirements will shed light on the events that led to Cevdet Kılıçlar’s death and to the injuring of Indonesian cameraman Sura Fachrizaz."
Ankara Municipality renamed 1433. street at Ankara's Çukurambar's region to his memory as "Şehit Cevdet Kılıçlar Sokağı".
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
journalist and photographer from Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
. He had been a correspondent of the Islamist daily newspaper Anadolu'da Vakit. He was an aid worker and responsible for website of The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (Turkish: İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı). He was married to Derya Kılıçlar and had two children, Gülhan and Ali Erdem. He was killed in the Gaza flotilla raid
Gaza flotilla raid
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
. According to his widow, Derya, he was prepared to become a martyr for the Palestinian cause.
Life
Cevdet Kılıçlar was born in Kayseri in 1972, to mother Hatice and father Hüseyin. He completed primary and secondary education in PınarbaşıPinarbasi, Kayseri
Pınarbaşı is a town and district of Kayseri Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It was founded by Sultan Abdülaziz and was initially named Aziziye. After the formation of the Turkish Republic, Pınarbaşı was renamed with its current name. Pinasbasi is famous as its horses and very...
, high school education in Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
and graduated from Marmara University
Marmara University
Marmara University is a public university in Turkey. Situated in Istanbul, Marmara University has succeeded in becoming the second largest university in the whole country...
's Faculty of Communications.
Umut Operation
Following graduation he worked as journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for an Islamist daily newspaper Millî Gazete and then an Islamist weekly newspaper Selam. Selam newspaper, which was the publishing organisation of Tevhid Selam, was claimed to be supported by Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and known its intimacy with the Welfare Party
Welfare Party
The Welfare Party was an Islamist political party in Turkey. It was founded by Ali Türkmen, Ahmet Tekdal and Necmettin Erbakan in Ankara in 1983 as heir to two earlier parties, Milli Nizam Partisi and Milli Selamet Partisi , which were banned from politics...
and Turkish Hizbullah. And after the beginning of "Umut Operation" related to the assassination of Ugur Mumcu
Ugur Mumcu
Uğur Mumcu was an intrepid Turkish investigative journalist for the leading Kemalist broadsheet, Cumhuriyet. He was assassinated with a bomb placed in his car, outside his home.- Biography :...
, on May 8, 2000, as the press coordinator of Selam, he announced that there has been no relationship with the former administrators of Selam for three years after February 28 process. However on May 9, 2000 Selam was raided by Turkish security forces and banned. Because of increasing pressure from the Turkish government he was forced to go to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
To Palestine
After turning back from Germany to IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
he worked as correspondent and editor in chief for Islamist daily newspapers Vakit. He was a correspondent in the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. In March 2008 as the correspondent of Vakit newspaper, he was staying in Egypt to cross over into Palestine. When he took the picture of wall built by Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian government, near the Rafah Border Crossing, he was arrested and interrogated by Directorate of Military Intelligence Services and Reconnaissance of Egypt (Egyptian military intelligence service) for five hours.
Death
He participated in Gaza Freedom Flotilla as the webmaster for IHH and foreign press coordinator. According to Turkish investigation, he was killed by a single distant shot to the middle of the forehead by Israel Defence Force's commandos while taking photographs for the IHH on Mavi MarmaraMV Mavi Marmara
MV is a Comoros-flagged passenger ship, which was formerly owned and operated by İDO Istanbul Fast Ferries Co. Inc. on the line Sarayburnu, Istanbul-Marmara Island-Avşa Island in the Sea of Marmara. Built at the Golden Gate Shipyard by Turkish Shipbuilding Co...
ship during Gaza flotilla raid
Gaza flotilla raid
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
The IHH president Bülent Yıldırım said:
"Our Cevdet, he is a press member. He has become a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. All he was doing was taking pictures. They smashed his skull into pieces. We soon made out that these were real bullets they were firing. Rubber bullets also kill because you shoot at very close range, between one-and-a-half and two meters."
His funeral service was held at the Beyazit Mosque in Istanbul on June 4, 2010. And after Salat al-Janazah he was laid to rest in a coffin at Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery
Edirnekapi Martyr's Cemetery
The Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery is a burial ground located in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It consists of an old, historical part and a modern one....
beside the grave of Metin Yüksel
Metin Yüksel
Metin Yüksel , was a Kurdish Islamic political and social activist from Turkey. One of the main leaders of Turkey's Islamist movement during the 1970s, he also led the Akıncılar Organization, a Islamist political organization.-Early life:Yüksel was born on July 17, 1958 in the eastern Anatolian...
, who was one of leaders of Akıncılar.
Demetre Plionis, a Greek activist abroad Mavi Marmara said: “A half hour after the attack, despite electronic warfare, the “Mavi Marmara” ship continued to broadcast images on the internet thanks to a sophisticated system run by a Turkish volunteer. Then, I saw him dead after he was shot in the head.” referring to Cevdet Kılıçlar. “The broadcast was discontinued when the person who was running the network was killed,” he added.
The Director-General of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, Irina Bokova
Irina Bokova
Irina Georgieva Bokova is a Bulgarian politician, incumbent Directors-General of UNESCO. She was member of the Bulgarian Parliament from the Bulgarian Socialist Party for two terms, minister and deputy minister of foreign affairs in the socialist cabinet of Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, and was...
condemned the killing of Turkish journalist Cevdet Kılıçlar, stating, "I trust that an inquiry that meets international requirements will shed light on the events that led to Cevdet Kılıçlar’s death and to the injuring of Indonesian cameraman Sura Fachrizaz."
Ankara Municipality renamed 1433. street at Ankara's Çukurambar's region to his memory as "Şehit Cevdet Kılıçlar Sokağı".