Erdal Eren was executed by hanging in the aftermath of the Military coup in September 1980 in Turkey. Erdal Eren was born on the 25 September 1961 (or 1964 as promoted by the leftists) in Şebinkarahisar,

Giresun Giresun (), formerly Cerasus (Ancient Greek: Κερασοῦς, Greek: Κερασούντα), is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon. Etymology Giresun wa ...

. His death sparked outrage in the Turkish society, as he was 17 years old at the time of his execution according to his advocate. However, his father wrote in his letter to Kenan Evren that during the event Zekeriya Önge was killed, Eren was 18 years and 4 months old. Eren was a student at a vocational high school in Ankara and a member of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Association. He was arrested on the 2 February 1980 during a protest against the murder of Sinan Suner, who had been killed by a member of the

security detail A security detail, often known as a PSD (protective services detail, personal security detachment, personal security detail) or PPD (personal protection detail), is a protective team assigned to protect the personal security of an individual or ...

of from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). During the protest, Eren fled a confrontation with the police, but was later caught. The officer who caught him, , was shot a few moments later and Eren was prosecuted and sentenced to death for the murder on the 19 March. During trial Eren denied having killed Önge and witnesses testified that the police officer was shot from behind and from some distance by a third party. However, he confessed he shot Önge and claimed Önge was killed by his as well as another soldier's shoot while interviewed by journalist Savaş Ay shortly before he was executed. Eren was hanged on the 13 December 1980 in

Ulucanlar prison The Ulucanlar Prison Museum ( tr, Ulucanlar Cezaevi Müzesi) is a former state prison in Ankara, Turkey that was converted into a prison museum following restoration by Altındağ Municipality. The museum was opened in 2011. It is the first mu ...

and buried in

Karşıyaka cemetery The Karşıyaka Cemetery ( tr, Karşıyaka Mezarlığı) is a modern burial ground located at İvedik neighborhood in Yenimahalle district of Ankara, Turkey. Administered by the Metropolitan Municipality, it is the biggest cemetery in Ankara. Ma ...

. The coup leader,

Kenan Evren Ahmet Kenan Evren (; 17 July 1917 – 9 May 2015) was a Turkish politician and military officer, who served as the seventh President of Turkey from 1980 to 1989. He assumed the post by leading the 1980 military coup. On 18 June 2014, a Turkish ...

, claimed that Eren was a terrorist and had murdered Önge by shooting him from behind.

Legacy

Every year mourners would hold meetings in his memory at his grave and several artists dedicated their art and songs to his memory. Ahmet Kaya,

Grup Yorum Grup Yorum is a band from Turkey known for their political songwriting. Grup Yorum (''Yorum'' means interpretation or comment in Turkish) has released twenty-three albums and one film since 1985. Some of the group's concerts and albums were bann ...

, Sezen Aksu and Teoman have recorded songs dedicated to Eren. In June 2015, the municipal assembly of

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar'', Ancient and Modern Greek: Τράλλεις /''Tralleis''/) is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of B ...

decided to change the name of the Kenan Evren street in the Kuşadası district into Erdal Eren street.

References

{{Authority control 1980 deaths Turkish criminal law