Erdal Eren was left-wing militant executed by hanging in the aftermath of the military coup in September 1980 in Turkey. Eren was born on the 25 September 1961 or March 1962 in
Şebinkarahisar
Şebinkarahisar is a town in Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of northeastern Turkey. It is the administrative seat of Şebinkarahisar District.
,
Giresun
Giresun () is a city in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon. It is the seat of Giresun Province and Giresun District. Though, the issue of his age had not been important or agitated at the trial itself. It was later brought up in an appeal statement after the death penalty sentence had already been decided by the court. Eren was a student at a vocational high school in
Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
and a member of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Association. He was also a member of the
Hoxhaist
Hoxhaism ( , ) is a variant of Marxism–Leninism developed in the late 1970s as a result of a schism in the anti-revisionist movement, namely between the Chinese Communist Party and the Party of Labour of Albania. The ideological dispute bet ...
Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey.
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
The Nationalist Movement Party, or alternatively translated as Nationalist Action Party (, MHP), is a Turkish Far-right politics, far-right, ultranationalism, ultranationalist Political parties in Turkey, political party. The group is often de ...
(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 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, in an interview with Savaş Ay shortly before he was executed Eren claimed to have shot Önge and assumed Önge was killed by his as well as another soldier's shot. Eren was hanged on the 13 December 1980 in Ulucanlar prison and buried in Karşıyaka cemetery. The coup leader,
Kenan Evren
Ahmet Kenan Evren (17 July 1917 – 9 May 2015) was a Turkish military officer and dictator 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 cou ...
, 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
Ahmet Kaya (28 October 1957 – 16 November 2000) was a Turkish– Kurdish folk singer. Kaya was persecuted by Turkish nationalist celebrities and authorities. Kaya left Turkey in an act of self-exile, and moved to France, where he would shor ...
Sezen Aksu
Sezen Aksu (; born Fatma Sezen Yıldırım; 13 July 1954) is a Turkish singer, songwriter and producer. She is one of the most successful Turkish people, Turkish singers, having sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Q ...
and Teoman have recorded songs dedicated to Eren. In June 2015, the municipal assembly of
Aydın
Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar; Greek: Τράλλεις)'' 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 Büyük Menderes River (ancient ...
decided to change the name of Kenan Evren street in
Kuşadası
Kuşadası () is a municipality and district of Aydın Province, Turkey. Its area is 265 km2, and its population is 130,835 (2022). It is a large resort town on the Aegean coast. Kuşadası is south of İzmir, and about west of Aydın. T ...