Cevdet Kiliclar

Cevdet Kiliclar a humanitarian aid worker, was stationed in the press room aboard the Mavi Marmara ship as part of the Freedom Flotilla aimed at lifting the Gaza blockade and delivering humanitarian aid. He tragically became a martyr due to gunfire opened by Israelis against the Freedom Flotilla. Born in 1972 in Kayseri, Cevdet Kılıçlar graduated from Marmara University's Faculty of Communication. During his university years, he married Derya Hanım, whom he had known since high school, and they had two children named Gülhan (15) and Erdem (13). After university, he worked as a journalist for a long time. He went to Germany for his master's degree and returned to Istanbul afterwards. He worked at Vakit newspaper for a period. Starting work at IHH in 2008, Cevdet Kılıçlar traveled to various countries as an IHH volunteer, observing many regions and sharing his observations through his ever-present camera. Despite his strong desire, he couldn't join the convoy to Gaza in 2009 due to work commitments. However, he eagerly joined the organized fleet aimed at lifting the Gaza blockade and delivering humanitarian aid. On the communication form filled out by fleet participants, he lastly wrote, "I can do any job." He embarked on the journey ready to do any work for the sake of humanity.

On the morning of May 31, 2010, during the Fajr prayer time, while transporting humanitarian aid aboard the Mavi Marmara ship, Cevdet Kılıçlar was martyred in a pirate attack launched by Israel. Witnesses recounted how he rushed to the deck, urging others, "For the sake of Allah, don't leave this area empty." He did not abandon his post. While documenting the attack through photography, he was shot in the forehead. Greek volunteer Dimitris Plionis stated, "Despite electronic warfare, Mavi Marmara continued to transmit footage taken with state-of-the-art equipment used by a Turkish volunteer for half an hour after the attack." He worked until his last moments to show the world Israel's indiscriminate assault. The 9 volunteers martyred aboard the Mavi Marmara were subjected to forensic autopsies, but the nature of the single bullet found in Kılıçlar's body, among the 30 bullets found, remained unidentified. This unprecedented bullet had entered journalist Cevdet Kılıçlar's forehead and remained within his skull without scattering, indicating it was fired from a "Shotgun," known as a door-breaking weapon in firearms literature. Termed "Bean Bag," this projectile, notably used by American and Israeli police in civil unrest, causes lasting damage when it hits the body and proves fatal when hitting the head.