An immigrant from Gostivar, Murat Merkel, who resisted the putschist soldiers moving to occupy Türk Telekom building on Kadıköy Acıbadem Street on the bloody night, was martyred while he was helping his wounded friend, after he was shot in the back.
“He would go there anyway, even if he knew he would fall a martyr”
Semra Mertel, the 35-year-old wife of Murat Merkel, who reportedly performed ablutions and went out chanting ‘Allah-u Akbar’ upon the call of President Erdoğan, stated as following: “His intention was to not leave the opportunity to the rivals. He reportedly gathered with his friends at a certain location. That night, the putschists were trying to occupy Türk Telekom. They aimed to prevent communication. We heard the conflict, because Türk Telekom was near our home. My husband warned us not to go out to the balcony or windows, before he left. The last time I talked to him on the phone was at 02.00. He saw one of his friends shot in the leg, while he was returning home. He wanted to bandage his friend’s wound with his t-shirt. He was shot in the back while taking his friend to the hospital, and the bullet crushed his chest. He was loaded into an ambulance in order to take him to the Ümraniye Research Hospital.”
The martyr’s mourning wife, Semra Mertel, telling Yeni Şafak about the night, stated that her husband had opened a shop in Kapalıçarşı with a heavy heart a month ago, but after his martyrdom they had to close the shop. Mertel stated, “He would go there anyway, even if he knew he would fall a martyr.”
The Martyr’s name was given to an Imam Hatip middleschool in Maltepe, İstanbul.
