Furkan Dogan

Furkan, who heard the sounds of gunfire during the Israeli soldiers' attack on the Mavi Marmara ship, heading to deliver aid to people struggling in Palestine, wrote the following on the paper in front of him: 'The final hours to the elixir of martyrdom. Is there anything more beautiful? If there is, it is only my mother.'

Furkan Doğan was born on October 20, 1991, in New York. He was a senior student at Kayseri Private Hisarcıklıoğlu High School. He joined the Gaza aid flotilla from Kayseri. Furkan Doğan lost his life at the age of 19 when he was shot by Israeli soldiers aboard the Mavi Marmara ship, which carried civilians. Four bullets hit him, one in the face and three in the chest, from a distance of 1.5 meters. Furkan embarked on this journey at a young age to be a means of good in the world. His father, burying his grief in his heart, said, 'We have no regrets or what-ifs. Our child became a martyr on a noble path. We have become the father of a martyr. May it bring about auspicious developments.' Furkan's brother Mustafa Doğan expressed his feelings during the funeral prayer in Istanbul, saying, 'We thought Israel would detain or turn away the ships and passengers, but we never imagined they would do something so inhumane. My brother became a martyr for the Palestinians. We sacrifice ourselves for them. Furkan is now in Istanbul, praying with the martyrs who participated in the conquest of Istanbul.'

Furkan, who was bringing aid to the people suffering in Palestine aboard the Mavi Marmara ship, heard the sounds of gunfire during the Israeli soldiers' attack and wrote on the paper in front of him: 'The final hours to the elixir of martyrdom. Is there anything more beautiful? If there is, it is only my mother. But even I am not sure about that. Comparing the two is very difficult. Martyrdom or my mother? The hall emptied. A seriousness that hadn't been there until now suddenly enveloped everyone...' Israel targeted the 19-year-old Furkan, who had only a pen and paper as his weapons. An innocent child...