25.02.2026 14:50
An F-16 aircraft belonging to the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balıkesir crashed during a mission flight, and Air Pilot Major İbrahim Bolat was martyred. A farewell ceremony was held for the martyr Bolat. The moments when his 10-year-old daughter Nil wept for her father broke hearts.
The F-16 aircraft, which took off for a mission flight from the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balıkesir, crashed shortly after takeoff around 00:50. In the accident, Air Pilot Major İbrahim Bolat was martyred. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek expressed his condolences to the martyr Bolat and announced that an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
THE SAD NEWS REACHED HIS FAMILY
The news of the martyrdom of Air Pilot Major İbrahim Bolat, who crashed while flying a mission flight from the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balıkesir, was delivered to his family living in the Evka-2 neighborhood of Çiğli district in İzmir. It was learned that martyr Bolat was one of the 7 children, 3 of whom were girls, of the Şehribani and Yusuf Bolat couple, and that he had previously lost a brother. It was stated that martyr Bolat was married to Ayşe Nilay Bolat and that they had a 10-year-old daughter named 'Nil'. The funeral of Bolat, which will be brought to İzmir, will be buried at the Kadifekale Martyrdom with a military ceremony after the prayer to be held at the Karşıyaka Beşikçioğlu Mosque today at the afternoon prayer time.
"HE WANTED TO BE A SOLDIER VERY MUCH AS A CHILD"
Evka-2 Neighborhood Muhtar İbrahim Özdemir said, "We know our martyr's childhood. It is a great pain for us. We have been waiting sleeplessly since 01:00. Our martyrs do not die. He wanted to be a soldier very much when he was little. He was someone who would come and tell us that he 'drank water from the military' as a child. May the homeland be blessed," he said.
FAREWELL CEREMONY FOR THE MARTYR
A farewell ceremony was held at the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balıkesir for the martyr Air Pilot Major İbrahim Bolat. The ceremony was attended by the martyr's family, as well as the Commander of the Air Force General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu, Balıkesir Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Akın, and the martyr's comrades-in-arms.
10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS OVERWHELMED WITH TEARS
The martyr's 10-year-old daughter Nil shed tears for her father. Those moments broke hearts. After the martyr's biography was read at the ceremony, prayers were made. After obtaining permission, the martyr's body was sent to İzmir for burial.