11.07.2026 12:21
The father of 15-year-old Halil İbrahim Yıldırım, who was martyred in the July 15 coup attempt, Bahaddin Yıldırım, recounted that night and his son's unforgettable final moments. Stating that his son seemed different that day, Yıldırım said, "The moment our President said 'Go out onto the streets,' Halil İbrahim got up before me. As he was running, he fell behind me; I thought he had tripped on a stone. When I put my hand under his head, there was blood. Then someone said, 'He's been shot.'"
The father of 15-year-old Halil İbrahim Yıldırım, Istanbul's youngest martyr of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)'s July 15, 2016 coup attempt, Bahaddin Yıldırım, still cannot forget the night his son fell as a martyr, even after 10 years have passed.
Halil İbrahim Yıldırım, the youngest martyr of the July 15 treacherous coup attempt in Istanbul, was only 15 years old in 2016. As the son of a family with five children from Şanlıurfa, Halil İbrahim took to the streets with his father Bahaddin Yıldırım upon President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call on the night of the coup attempt to protect democracy. Among the citizens resisting the coup plotters in front of the Bayrampaşa Riot Police Directorate, Halil İbrahim was severely wounded by a bullet to the head fired by the treacherous coup plotters. Despite all the doctors' interventions, Halil İbrahim could not be saved and fell as a martyr.
HIS ORGANS WERE DONATED
Yıldırım's body was bid farewell on its final journey after the funeral prayer at Bayrampaşa Muradiye Mosque. The grieving family gave life to others by donating the organs of their 15-year-old martyr child.
Bahaddin Yıldırım, father of Halil İbrahim Yıldırım, recounted the night his son became a martyr and what they have experienced over the past 10 years on the anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt. Wishing mercy from Allah for all martyrs and a speedy recovery for veterans, Yıldırım said that on the night of July 15, he went to the park with his children, drank tea, and played games. Explaining that they went to İncirli Park at Halil İbrahim's request and played basketball there, Yıldırım said, "We played a bit; Halil İbrahim said, 'I'm hungry, shall I get myself a döner?' His mother gave him money, he went and came back; I saw he had bought two pastries. 'What's up, you were going to get döner?' I said. 'This is enough for me, goes with tea,' he said."
"I SAID, 'THERE'S SOMETHING WITH HALİL İBRAHİM TODAY'"
Stating that they played in the park for a while longer with his children, Yıldırım expressed that when it got late, they wanted to go home, but they stayed in the park because Halil İbrahim wanted to play a bit more. Noting that the park, where they couldn't find a spot before, was empty this time, Yıldırım said, "I said, 'No one's here.' He said, 'We'll play.' I said, 'Alright, let's play.' My wife and I sat on the bench; I said, 'There's something with Halil İbrahim today.'"
Yıldırım stated that after playing for a while, they set off to go home, and during this time, a person on the road told him, "There's a coup, go inside." Upon hearing this, he immediately went home and turned on the television.
"THE MOMENT OUR PRESIDENT SAID 'GO OUT ON THE STREETS,' HALİL İBRAHİM GOT UP BEFORE ME"
Father Yıldırım described what happened at home as follows:
"Halil İbrahim put his head on the couch. 'What's up?' I said. 'I'm going to sleep,' he said. 'If you're going to sleep, go sleep in your bed,' I said. Then he went; not even a minute passed, he came back, with a pillow on his lap. 'I couldn't sleep,' he said, his eyes shining. I'm watching television. The moment our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said 'Go out on the streets,' Halil İbrahim got up before me. 'Come on, let's go out,' he said. His mother said, 'Where are you going?' I said, 'We'll go out too.' We went out; I'm waiting downstairs. I asked his mother, 'Is he coming?' She said, 'He's coming.' Then he came; there's a barber shop downstairs, he fixed his hair. While walking on the road, there are friends, neighbors; it's getting more crowded as we go. While turning at the beginning of the street, there's an ATM, there are markets; he said, 'Dad, do they think this bread won't run out tomorrow or the next day?'"
"WHEN SOMEONE SAID 'HE'S BEEN SHOT, HE'S GONE'..."
Yıldırım noted that Halil İbrahim called his friends on the phone for a while longer and continued as follows:
"We walked quite a bit; I saw his shoelace was untied. 'I'll tie it,' he said. 'Tie it,' I said. He's tying it; I'm waiting by him; his friends are going. 'Dad, let's run, we're late; our friends left, we're late,' he said. He ran, I ran too. There's Tuna High School, across from the electricity administration. I turned around; he fell behind me. I thought he tripped over a stone. I looked; his phone was on the ground. I picked up the phone and said, 'Get up, İbrahim'; he's not getting up. When I put my hand under his head, there's blood. Then someone said, 'He's been shot, he's gone.' When they said 'gone'... Of course, we don't know; a person goes into shock."
Yıldırım said the citizens arranged a car and two people came in a white car. "We put him in the car; of course, we can't go. We entered the side street and went to the hospital from there. The people at the hospital said, 'The bullet grazed him.' Then they saw it wasn't like that. At the moment he was shot, he had given up, he had become a martyr. From there, they referred us to Bağcılar Hospital. There, they told us what was already said. Father, he also takes his own children to the grave with his own hands," he said.
"MAY ALLAH NOT DISPLACE US"
Stating that they have lived and struggled for this homeland, Yıldırım said, "We are always ready for this homeland. İbrahim became a martyr. May Allah grant it to us as well, God willing. Our prayer is always like that. The homeland is not easy. There are those who are displaced. May Allah not displace us. People from other countries can flee and take refuge with us, but we cannot take refuge with anyone. We are a great nation. May Allah not give them the opportunity, God willing."
"WE RELIVE THAT MOMENT EVERY DAY"
Yıldırım stated that although 10 years have passed since July 15, they relive that moment every day. "I always say, let's protect the Turkish nation, our brothers, our homeland. Great state, let's protect our state," he said.