Ahmet Gültekin (b. 2002, Üsküdar, Istanbul) was a Turkish soldier. He completed his primary and middle school education at Sultangazi Melahat Öztoprak School and his high school education at Kadırga Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.

^{Ahmet Gültekin (Source: Merve Gültekin)}

Ahmet Gültekin completed his compulsory military service as a recruit in Tokat and was then deployed to the Syrian border for advanced training. After receiving his commission, he passed the interview conducted by the Ministry of National Defense and began his training at the Isparta Eğirdir Mountain Commando School. On 29 December 2023, following his oath-taking ceremony, he was assigned to his first duty station in Malatya. After Malatya, he was transferred to Northern Iraq.

On 6 July 2025, during a cave search operation to locate the remains of Infantry Second Lieutenant Nuri Melih Bozkurt, who was martyred in 2022, he successfully rescued two team members and entered the third phase of the operation when he was poisoned by methane gas and attained martyrdom. ^【1】

The funeral prayer for Contract Soldier Ahmet Gültekin, martyred during the cave operation in the Pençe-Kilit Operation Zone, was held at Ataköy 5th Section Mosque, after which he was buried in a ceremony at Edirnekapı Martyrs’ Cemetery. His family, friends, and numerous political figures and prominent individuals attended the funeral and ceremony. Among them were Fatih Mayor M. Ergün Turan, Ak Party Provincial Chairman Abdullah Özdemir, Selçuk Bayraktar, and Süleyman Soylu.^【2】

^{Ahmet Gültekin’s Funeral Ceremony} (Source: Republic of Türkiye Fatih Municipality)

“My will is this:

If I am martyred by a treacherous mine or a treacherous bullet, do not mourn me or weep after I am gone. I have seen this dream many times; even my comrades have seen it. I made a promise, I gave my word, I waited for the right time, and I kept my word (Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 23).

All my personal rights shall be transferred to my mother. If there is any compensation due to me, let a good home be allocated to my family so they may live in comfort. My brothers are like fathers to me; we carry ourselves with strength and dignity. I may have never said aloud how much I love my family, perhaps not even as much as the five fingers of one hand, but let them know: I loved them deeply, I love them now, and I will love them always. When someone else suffers, it feels as if a dagger has pierced my heart. My family, my loved ones, my dearest friend Halil, my beloved brother Güney, those I hold dear—my rights over you are as pure as white milk; forgive me my dues as I forgive yours.

But let those among you who might expect intercession from me because of my martyrdom know this: I will not intercede for you. This too must be known. I was always beside you, and I will remain beside you. If you grieve and divide yourselves, if you drift apart, it will make me weep where I am. After me, look after one another, become better. This is my only wish.

And rejoice, be loved, value one another, and embrace each other tightly. “The one who inhales the scent of an embrace, when longing strikes, feels the ache in his nose”; hold each other close. Bring flowers, do not let love remain only in words—show it in your heart as it deserves.

I never got to pick a flower. “Men receive their first flower upon death”; this note is for my beloved sisters who read these words. Break the spell in this saying: let men not wait until death to receive their first flower.

And the funeral of a martyr is different:

Crowds fill every place, flags wave high, and state officials attend. Do not complain, do not weep, do not wail; hold your head high, stand tall. I did not die so that your heads would bow. Let my comrades from the Special Forces carry my body to the grave; let them bury me so that even the shovel that throws earth upon me whispers “Allah” with each takbir. Keep my name alive in the neighborhood where I grew up and in a school. Let the younger generation be inspired by their love for the homeland, let them strive with sweat and determination on the path of justice. Do not forget, and do not let others forget. The commando does not die when shot—he dies when forgotten. Farewell to you all...