24.07.2025 13:47
The father of Eren Arslan, an AKUT volunteer who lost his life in the forest fire in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir, described his son's charitable personality. The father stated that Arslan had recently gone to the Adıyaman earthquake, saying, "When he came back, his hands and nails were completely purple. He wouldn't stay at home; we couldn't keep him still."
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In the fire that started in Seyitgazi, ESKİŞEHİR and crossed into the Afyonkarahisar border, Bayram Eren Arslan (23), the son of Demirören Media employee Gürsel Arslan and a volunteer of AKUT, was martyred. It was revealed that Gürsel Arslan sent a message saying, 'Eren, can you call me urgently?' when he couldn't reach his son during the fire, but did not receive a response.
"HIS HANDS WERE BLUE, HE HAD NO NAILS"
The father of industrial engineer Bayram Eren Arslan, Gürsel Arslan, was overwhelmed with tears while waiting in front of the Ankara Forensic Medicine Institution. Accepting condolences, Gürsel Arslan stated that his son had been a volunteer for AKUT for 15 years, and also worked at the Turkish Aeronautical Association, providing model airplane training to children by visiting schools. Gürsel Arslan said, "He has been going to AKUT for about 15 years. He was using a drone there. He went to the earthquake. He stayed in the earthquake for 1.5 months. He always went to the front. When he came back, his hands were blue, he no longer had nails, the tips were gone. I told my son, 'don't go.' A week later, he went again. We watch on television; we say 'AKUT personnel are good,' but I am here giving birth to nine, 'the building will collapse, this will happen, that will happen.' I was so scared. Of course, you also feel proud in a way. Because as you save people, you feel proud. You feel proud when you see his hands like that," he said.
"HE REMAINED WITH A SMILING FACE"
Stating that he went to Eskişehir upon hearing the news, Gürsel Arslan said, "He got caught in a headwind with his friends. He was poisoned by smoke. Then he burned. The doctors didn't show him, he remained with a smiling face."
Stating that his son was close to nature, Gürsel Arslan said, "The governor just called me, the mayor of Mamak was with us. I just want a place from them. If they give it, I want to plant trees by my own effort. I want to name it after my son. I want a memorial forest together with his friends in a nearby place."
"WE SOLD THE MOTORCYCLE BECAUSE HE MIGHT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, THIS HAPPENED"
Gürsel Arslan, explaining that they were making vacation plans, said, "We were going to go on vacation to Bodrum. My daughter said, 'Dad, why are you crying? My brother saved so many people, saved so many animals, saved so many flowers, he went to heaven, he became a martyr.' My 16-year-old daughter said. How beautifully they were raised. He always did something for people. He graduated in industrial engineering. He was a volunteer for AKUT, a volunteer for the Turkish Aeronautical Association, and received glider training. He opened his own office in engineering. He would leave that job and go to AKUT training. I would say, 'Son, don't go, your work is suffering,' but he would leave and go. The last time he went to Bursa, he received training there. A goat went missing in Bolu, he went to rescue the goat, a man went missing in Çubuk, they went to find the man. He had a motorcycle, we made him sell it because 'he might have an accident,' we got him a car, and this is what happened," he expressed.
Gürsel Arslan stated that he called his son around 10:30 PM during the fire, and when he couldn't reach him, he sent a message saying, 'Eren, can you call me urgently?' but did not receive a response.
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