Furkan Doğan
Encyclopedia
Furkan Doğan was a Turkish American
who was residing in Turkey permanently. He was the youngest person killed on MV Mavi Marmara
ship, in the Gaza flotilla raid
and became a political symbol after his death.
in the United States and moved to Turkey
at the age of two.
He was a high school student at Kayseri Özel Hisarcıklıoğlu Fen Lisesi in Kayseri, Turkey
. He wanted to study medicine. He had planned to visit New York in the summer of 2010.
His father, Ahmet Doğan, who graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
with an MBA in accounting, is an assistant professor of accounting at Erciyes University
.
in a lottery. He was killed in the Gaza flotilla raid
. Doğan's father said that "Furkan was a US citizen only and he never thought that he would be killed since he was an American citizen." In his final diary entry written on the ship, he wrote about the beauty of martyrdom:
An autopsy revealed he had suffered five gunshot wounds, to the nose, back, back of the head, left leg, and left ankle, at a distance of 45 centimeters. He was shot when he was filming the events in the ship. A video from İHH which was posted in many websites including haber7 claims to show a person being shot by IDF
soldiers. It is claimed that the person shot was Doğan by haber7. This video was also posted at the on-line news collective This Can't Be Happening: http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/95
The autopsy report was never handed over to US authorities despite repeated requests to that effect.
U.S. authorities in Turkey have offered U.S. consular services. His funeral service was held at the Fatih Mosque
in Istanbul
on 3 June 2010
The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) condemned the attack. Ray McGovern
questioned Israel's killing of Americans without being held accountable. The Christian Science Monitor reported that his US citizenship may make it difficult to avoid a diplomatic confrontation between the US and Israel.
The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
, criticized the USA Government for being silent after Doğan's death. He asked: "Why is his death not followed by the USA, is it because of his Turkish origin?"
filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. government to release documents related to its knowledge and role in the attack, which it has thus far blocked.
Turkish American
Turkish Americans are people who have Turkish ancestry and are citizens of the United States.-History:Early Turkish immigrants to the United States were predominantly from Turkey's rural community. They settled in large, industrial cities and found employment as unskilled laborers...
who was residing in Turkey permanently. He was the youngest person killed on MV Mavi Marmara
MV 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, 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...
and became a political symbol after his death.
Early life
Furkan Doğan was born to Turkish parents in Troy, New YorkTroy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
in the United States and moved to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
at the age of two.
He was a high school student at Kayseri Özel Hisarcıklıoğlu Fen Lisesi in Kayseri, Turkey
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 wanted to study medicine. He had planned to visit New York in the summer of 2010.
His father, Ahmet Doğan, who graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
with an MBA in accounting, is an assistant professor of accounting at Erciyes University
Erciyes University
Erciyes University is a Turkish institute of higher education located in Kayseri, Turkey. As of 4 April 2006, a total of 28,474 students were studying for their bachelors degree and postgraduate studies.-Background:...
.
Gaza flotilla and Doğan's death
Dogan was not intensely interested in politics, and his participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, was a result of his winning a seat on the MV 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...
in a lottery. 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...
. Doğan's father said that "Furkan was a US citizen only and he never thought that he would be killed since he was an American citizen." In his final diary entry written on the ship, he wrote about the beauty of martyrdom:
"It is the last hours to martyrdom, insha'Allah. I am wondering if there is a more beautiful thing. The more beautiful thing is only my mother, but I'm not sure. The comparison is very difficult. Martyrdom or my mother? Now, the hall has been evacuated. So far people were not serious, but they have become serious recently."
An autopsy revealed he had suffered five gunshot wounds, to the nose, back, back of the head, left leg, and left ankle, at a distance of 45 centimeters. He was shot when he was filming the events in the ship. A video from İHH which was posted in many websites including haber7 claims to show a person being shot by IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
soldiers. It is claimed that the person shot was Doğan by haber7. This video was also posted at the on-line news collective This Can't Be Happening: http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/95
The autopsy report was never handed over to US authorities despite repeated requests to that effect.
Reactions to his death
On 3 June 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed his death and said U.S. officials had met with Doğan's father to express their condolences. Clinton said,"Protecting the welfare of American citizens is a fundamental responsibility of our government and one that we take very seriously. We are in constant contact with the Israeli Government, attempting to obtain more information about our citizens."
U.S. authorities in Turkey have offered U.S. consular services. His funeral service was held at the Fatih Mosque
Fatih Mosque
The Fatih Mosque or Conqueror's Mosque in English) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. It was one of the largest examples of Turkish-Islamic architecture in Istanbul and represented an important stage in the development of classic Turkish...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
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...
on 3 June 2010
The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) condemned the attack. Ray McGovern
Ray McGovern
Raymond McGovern is a retired CIA officer turned political activist. McGovern was a Federal employee under seven U.S. presidents over 27 years, presenting the morning intelligence briefings at the White House for many of them.-Early life:...
questioned Israel's killing of Americans without being held accountable. The Christian Science Monitor reported that his US citizenship may make it difficult to avoid a diplomatic confrontation between the US and Israel.
The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
, criticized the USA Government for being silent after Doğan's death. He asked: "Why is his death not followed by the USA, is it because of his Turkish origin?"
Center for Constitutional Rights lawsuit
In May 2011, the Center for Constitutional RightsCenter for Constitutional Rights
Al Odah v. United States:Al Odah is the latest in a series of habeas corpus petitions on behalf of people imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The case challenges the Military Commissions system’s suitability as a habeas corpus substitute and the legality, in general, of detention at...
filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. government to release documents related to its knowledge and role in the attack, which it has thus far blocked.
External links
- "Beyond the Pale -- The Murder of Furkan Dogan", Huffington Post, Paul Jay, 8 June 2010
- "Furkan Dogan - U.S. Citizen Killed on the Mavi Marmara", Daily Kos, 13 June 2010
- "Three American Subplots in Flotilla Drama", The New York Times blogsite "The Lede". Robert Mackey, 3 June 2010.
- "Secretary Clinton on Death of American on Flotilla: 'Protecting the Welfare of American Citizens is a Fundamental Responsibility of Our Government'", ABC News, 3 June 2010
- "Botched commando raid: U.S. squeezes Israel to ease Gaza naval blockade", Richard Sisk, The New York Daily News, 4 June 2010
- "Israeli Disinformation Challenged: New Smuggled Clip Shows IDF Commandos Kicking and Apparently Shooting Victim", This Can't Be Happening, Dave Lindorff, 12 June 2010
- "IDF Executed Mavi Marmara Victims", Tikun Olam, 10 June 2010
- "US emboldens Israel to kill Americans", Press TV, 14 June 2010
- "Furkan Dogan: Victim of Israeli Terrorism", Opinion Maker, 16 June 2010, Raja Mujtaba
- "Gaza flotilla attack: Autopsies reveal intensity of Israeli military force", Flotilla Massacre Passengers Testimonies