İbrahim Bilgen
Encyclopedia
İbrahim Bilgen was a Turkish
politician
, electrical engineer and activist. He was born in Batman, Turkey
and killed by the Israeli armed forces in the Gaza flotilla raid
.
Bilgen's family migrated to Turkey from Mosul
, Iraq
. He was a graduate of Fırat University
electrical engineering
department and a member of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers of Turkey. He had been a resident of Siirt
, a south-eastern city of Turkey, since 1980. He was married and had six children.
. After the Virtue Party was banned by the Constitutional Court of Turkey in 2001, he joined the newly formed Felicity Party. He was a candidate for Member of Turkish Parliament in 2007 for that party for Siirt Province
, but he was not elected, the Felicity Party receiving 884 votes (0.96%) there. In Turkish local elections, 2009
, he was a candidate for mayor of Siirt
, but he was again not elected.
In a press interview during his 2009 campaign, he said: "I was born a Felicity man, I will die a Felicity man. Because Felicity is the only national party of Turkey. This party has neither come under the yoke of America, nor of any other country." Since then, he had been serving as a city investigator for the Felicity Party.
in Siirt
, Bilgen joined the Gaza flotilla of May 2010 on board the MV Mavi Marmara
, which set sail from Istanbul
for the Gaza strip
on May 23, 2010. He died on May 31, 2010, during the Gaza flotilla raid
.
According to an autopsy Bilgen died from four gunshot wounds to temple, chest, hip and back.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, electrical engineer and activist. He was born in Batman, Turkey
Batman, Turkey
Batman is a city in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey and the capital of Batman Province. It lies on a plateau, 540 meters above sea level, near the confluence of the Batman River and the Tigris. The Batı Raman oil field, which is the largest oil field in Turkey, is located just outside...
and killed by the Israeli armed forces 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...
.
Bilgen's family migrated to Turkey from Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He was a graduate of Fırat University
Firat University
Firat University is one of the biggest academical institutions in the East of Turkey, established in 1975 in Elazig. It has twelve faculties,four institutes,three highs schools, one state conservatory and nine vocational high schools and 21 research center with a strong emphasis on scientific and...
electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
department and a member of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers of Turkey. He had been a resident of Siirt
Siirt
- External links :* * * *...
, a south-eastern city of Turkey, since 1980. He was married and had six children.
Political career
Bilgen was one of the founders of Virtue PartyVirtue Party
Virtue Party was an Islamist political party established in December 1998 in Turkey. It was found unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court and then banned in June 2001, for violating the secularist articles of the Constitution...
. After the Virtue Party was banned by the Constitutional Court of Turkey in 2001, he joined the newly formed Felicity Party. He was a candidate for Member of Turkish Parliament in 2007 for that party for Siirt Province
Siirt Province
Siirt Province is a province of Turkey, located in the southeast. The province borders Bitlis to the north, Batman to the west, Mardin to the southwest, Şırnak to the south, and Van to the east. It has an area of 5,406 km² and a total population of 300,695...
, but he was not elected, the Felicity Party receiving 884 votes (0.96%) there. In Turkish local elections, 2009
Turkish local elections, 2009
Turkey held local elections on 29 March 2009. The overal winner was the ruling party Justice and Development Party, although the party saw a decline in its vote relative to the 2007 general election...
, he was a candidate for mayor of Siirt
Siirt
- External links :* * * *...
, but he was again not elected.
In a press interview during his 2009 campaign, he said: "I was born a Felicity man, I will die a Felicity man. Because Felicity is the only national party of Turkey. This party has neither come under the yoke of America, nor of any other country." Since then, he had been serving as a city investigator for the Felicity Party.
Business career
After working as an electrical engineer in various companies, İbrahim Bilgen founded an electrical engineering company called Bilgen Mühendislik, in 2004. In addition, he founded the first local television channel in Siirt, Selam TV.Death
As a volunteer for IHHIHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi)
IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation or İHH is an Islamic Turkish NGO active in more than 100 countries.Established in 1992 and officially registered in Istanbul in 1995, İHH...
in Siirt
Siirt
- External links :* * * *...
, Bilgen joined the Gaza flotilla of May 2010 on board the 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...
, which set sail from 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...
for the Gaza strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
on May 23, 2010. He died on May 31, 2010, during 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 an autopsy Bilgen died from four gunshot wounds to temple, chest, hip and back.
Reactions to his death
- Afif Demirkıran, Member of Parliament for the AK Party from Siirt, said: "May Allah accept the martyrdom of İbrahim Bilgen."
- A press statement by the Chamber of Electrical Engineers of Turkey stated: "We condemn the attack of Israel in which one of our members was killed."
- Photographs of İbrahim Bilgen were hung in the streets in Siirt.
- Numan KurtulmuşNuman KurtulmuşProf. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş is a Turkish politician.- His family :Numan Kurtulmuş comes from a prominent Turkish family with a scholarly heritage and impeccable reputation. He is the grandson of the author of a book entitled A Commentary on "I believed in"...
, Felicity Party leader, held his photo during a press conference and called him a "martyr". - American author and journalist Ali AbunimahAli AbunimahAli Hasan Abunimah is a Palestinian American journalist and co-founder of Electronic Intifada, a not-for-profit, independent online publication about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Born in Washington D.C., he spent his early years in the United Kingdom and Belgium before returning to the...
has reported a claim by Sheikh Raed Salah, a leader of the Islamic Movement in IsraelIslamic Movement in IsraelThe Islamic Movement in Israel is a movement that aims to advocate Islam among Israeli Arabs. It operates on three levels: religious , social and anti-Zionist...
who was also on board the Mavi Marmara, that Bilgen may have been deliberately targeted for execution by Israeli forces who mistook him for Raed Salah, and lists some pieces of circumstantial evidence that support this claim.