--- title: Burak Gençcelep slug: burak-genccelep-4c930 url: /detay/burak-genccelep-4c930 type: biography language: English entity: primary: Burak Gençcelep type: biography categories: - name: Intelligence, Security, and Defense slug: istihbarat-guvenlik-ve-askeri-calismalar url: /kategori/istihbarat-guvenlik-ve-askeri-calismalar - name: Aviation And Space slug: havacilik-ve-uzay url: /kategori/havacilik-ve-uzay - name: Biography And Autobiography slug: biyografi-ve-otobiyografi url: /kategori/biyografi-ve-otobiyografi tags: - NF5 - SehitlerOlmez - havaharpokulu - HavacılıkEğitimi - TürkYıldızları - Savaşuçağı - Öğretmenlik - havacılıktarihi - Yüzbaşı - f16 - şehit - havakuvvetleri - kaza - pilot - Havacılık author: Gözde Cabadak created_at: 2026-06-16T17:42:45.765636+03:00 updated_at: 2026-06-16T17:42:45.765636+03:00 image: https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/06/11/oHJH5xkFTOtc6SQH7dLzK9bjasXydrSC.jpg --- # Burak Gençcelep > Air Force Captain Burak Gençcelep (1986-2021) served as a combat pilot and instructor pilot within the Turkish Air Forces and is a member of the Turkish Stars Aerobatic Team. ## KURE Information Cards ![Ekran görüntüsü 2026-05-21 230437.png](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/05/22/b5gFXWRkCibSgqQW61wVR7NoTksNEclI.png) *Burak Gençcelep* | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | Areas of Expertise | Instructor Pilot (T-38),Aerobatic Pilot (NF-5),Combat Pilot (F-4) | | Date of Martyrdom | 7 April 2021 | | Place of Martyrdom | Konya (near Karatay Industrial Area) | | Rank | Air Force Pilot Captain | | Unit Affiliated With | Turkish Stars Aerobatic Team (Air Forces Command) | | Place of Birth | Trabzon | | Year of Birth | 18 January 1986 | ## Article Content Air Force Captain [Burak Gençcelep](/en/detay/burak-genccelep-57002/llms.txt) (1986–2021) served as a combat pilot and instructor pilot within the Turkish Air Forces. During the final phase of his career, while serving as a member of the [Türk Yıldızları](/en/detay/turk-yildizlari-5ad39/llms.txt) Aerobatic Team, he lost his life in a crash during a training flight in Konya on 7 April 2021, while flying an [NF-5](/en/detay/northrop-f-5-b6a49/llms.txt) aircraft, and was martyred. [YouTube Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZNjrJqjKE) *Those Who Did Not Fit in the Coffin: Martyr Captain Burak Gençcelep, Episode 209 (Yeni Şafak)* ### Genealogy and Life Burak Gençcelep was born on 18 January 1986 in Trabzon. His family belongs to the **Celeboğulları lineage**, whose historical presence in the region dates back approximately 400 to 500 years. The lineage traces its origin to an ancestor who arrived in the area with his four children; two of these children settled in Bulak, while the other two settled in Bostancı and Kavala villages, resulting in the lineage expanding into a large family structure across seven different villages. Burak Gençcelep’s father, Mehmet Gençcelep, was a retired civil servant, and his mother is Nuray Gençcelep. Spending his early childhood in the village of Bulak, which is under the jurisdiction of Trabzon, Gençcelep developed an interest in aviation at the age of four due to the acoustic and visual impact of low-flying aircraft passing overhead. He formed his aspiration to become a pilot during this period. In a conversation with friends about the concept of martyrdom in his lineage, he stated that no member of his family had previously been martyred and declared that he would be the first.[^1] ### Educational Journey Burak Gençcelep’s basic education began in Trabzon; he completed primary school at Bulak Primary School and secondary school at Cumhuriyet Middle School. He continued his high school education at Tevfik Serdar Anatolian High School, where he adopted a study strategy based on absorbing information during class lectures and using a "method notebook," achieving high academic success without relying on additional textbooks. He began his higher education in 2003 after successfully passing the entrance examinations for the Air Force Academy and the Student Selection Flight (ÖSU) conducted in Yalova. During his military education, Gençcelep distinguished himself through his rapid grasp of theoretical knowledge and mental discipline. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2007 with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Following graduation, he underwent pilot training at the 2nd Main Jet Base Command in İzmir and successfully completed his flight training, earning the title of combat pilot through academic and technical proficiency.[^2] ### **Military Career and Pilot Specialization** Burak Gençcelep began his military education in 2003 after successfully completing the Air Force Academy entrance exams and the Student Selection Flight (ÖSU) in Yalova, graduating in 2007 with the rank of Second Lieutenant. After graduation, he successfully completed pilot training at the 2nd Main Jet Base Command in Çiğli, İzmir, and subsequently served as a pilot on F-4 fighter aircraft in Konya. In later stages of his career, he was reassigned to Çiğli, İzmir, as an instructor pilot, where he conducted extensive training missions on T-38 aircraft. Over approximately ten years of service, he played an active role in training numerous young pilots within the Turkish Air Forces and made significant technical contributions to the development of the institution’s human resource capacity. ### **Activities within the Türk Yıldızları Aerobatic Team** [YouTube Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwg38i-XD6Y) *Our Heroic Pilot Captain Burak Gençcelep (Ministry of National Defense)* Due to his professional experience, high sense of duty, and technical achievements, Air Force Captain Burak Gençcelep was selected to join the prestigious Türk Yıldızları Aerobatic Team of the Turkish Air Forces. Although Gençcelep had personally requested assignment to combat jet squadrons in regions such as Diyarbakır or Merzifon, his exceptional expertise and distinctive competencies were deemed critical for the team’s operational needs. Consequently, existing service regulations were modified to enable his assignment; the volunteer-based assignment system was restructured to leverage his specialized skills. This case is recorded as one of the exceptional administrative procedures in the history of the Türk Yıldızları regarding personnel selection for the team. During his tenure with the team, Gençcelep flew NF-5 aircraft and elevated his technical expertise in aerobatic maneuvers. His high operational energy and commitment to sharing experience during this phase became key elements contributing to the unit’s institutional functioning and work environment. On 6 April 2021, during a training flight, he successfully executed the team’s signature colored smoke display maneuvers. His final activity with the team occurred on 7 April 2021 during a routine training flight conducted under the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya.[^4] ### **Air Crash of 7 April 2021 and Martyrdom** On 7 April 2021, during a routine training flight conducted under the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya, a Türk Yıldızları Aerobatic Team NF-5 aircraft suffered a crash due to a technical malfunction. While executing the "Spiral" maneuver at low altitude and high speed, a deviation in the rudder mechanism caused the aircraft to lose control and enter an uncontrolled, violent maneuver. Upon detecting the malfunction, Air Force Captain Burak Gençcelep immediately ordered the other aircraft in formation (number 4) to break away to prevent a mid-air collision. Crash investigations and debris analysis revealed that Gençcelep applied emergency procedures and performed fuel-dump maneuvers to minimize the risk of fire. He steered the aircraft away from populated areas such as the Karatay Industrial Zone, directing it toward uninhabited land to prevent civilian casualties. Due to his priority of safely guiding the aircraft to a secure area and ensuring the safety of civilians, the ejection sequence could not be initiated; he was martyred when the aircraft crashed onto open land outside the residential zone.[^5] ### **Funeral Ceremony and Burial Procedures** ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/05/22/hoILA8EDSGKeHp60MQclvaPcUcdBPGbJ.png) *Burak Gençcelep’s Funeral Ceremony (Anadolu Ajansı)* The first military ceremony for Air Force Captain Burak Gençcelep was held at the Konya Military Terminal, adhering to measures implemented during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A moment of silence was observed, his service record was read aloud, and religious rites were performed. Following the ceremony, his body, wrapped in the Turkish flag, was transferred onto a Turkish Air Forces aircraft, carried on the shoulders of his comrades, for transport to his hometown of Trabzon. ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/05/22/vcWWwJU87ENYNSiYF1R8oyQ8hSIhDnYA.png) *Burak Gençcelep’s Funeral Ceremony (Republic of Türkiye Ortahisar District Governorship)* Upon arrival at Trabzon Airport, his body was received by regional civil and military authorities and citizens. The welcoming ceremony was attended by Trabzon Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu, Trabzon Metropolitan Mayor Murat Zorluoğlu, members of parliament from various political parties, the Provincial Police Chief, and senior military officials. After official procedures at the airport, the body was transported by hearse to his father’s home in Bulak Village, Ortahisar District. Following the completion of religious clearance rituals, the body was taken to the local mosque. The funeral prayer for Air Force Captain Burak Gençcelep was held after the noon prayer, and he was buried with full military honors in the family cemetery in Bulak Village.[^6] ### **Preservation of His Memory and Institutional Honors After Death** Following his martyrdom, the name of Air Force Captain Burak Gençcelep has been permanently commemorated by naming various institutions and facilities in both civilian and military spheres. In this context, the educational institution located in Bulak Village, Ortahisar District, his hometown of Trabzon, has been renamed **Martyr Captain Burak Gençcelep Primary School**.[^7] ## Academic Sources and References 1. Anadolu Ajansı. "Türk Yıldızları uçağının düşmesi sonucu şehit olan pilot Yüzbaşı Gençcelep son yolculuğuna uğurlandı." Accessed May 21, 2026. https://aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/turk-yildizlari-ucaginin-dusmesi-sonucu-sehit-olan-pilot-yuzbasi-genccelep-son-yolculuguna-ugurlandi/2201843 2. Ministry of National Education. "Şehit Pilot Yüzbaşı Burak Gençcelep İlkokulu." Accessed May 21, 2026. https://spyburakgenccelepilkokulu.meb.k12.tr/tema/index.php 3. T.C. Ministry of National Defense. "Kahraman Pilotumuz Yüzbaşı Burak Gençcelep." YouTube. Accessed May 21, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwg38i-XD6Y 4. T.C.Ortahisar Kaymakamlığı Governorship. "Şehit Yüzbaşı Burak Gençcelep’i Trabzon’da Dualarla Son Yolculuğuna Uğurladık." Accessed May 21, 2026. https://www.ortahisar.gov.tr/sehit-yuzbasi-burak-genccelepi-trabzonda-dualarla-son-yolculuguna-ugurladik 5. Turkish Grand National Assembly. "Statement Regarding the Great Sacrifice Made by MartyredPilot Yüzbaşı Burak Gençcelep to Avoid Harm to Civilians." Accessed May 21, 2026. https://www5.tbmm.gov.tr/develop/owa/genel\_kurul.cl\_getir?pEid=96941 6. Yeni Şafak. "Tabuta Sığmayanlar: Şehit Burak Gençcelep (209. Bölüm)." YouTube. Accessed May 21, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZNjrJqjKE ## Citations [^1]: Yeni Şafak. "Those Who Did Not Fit in the Coffin: Martyr Captain Burak Gençcelep (Episode 209)" Youtube. Accessed 21 May 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZNjrJqjKE [^2]: Yeni Şafak. "Those Who Did Not Fit in the Coffin: Martyr Captain Burak Gençcelep (Episode 209)" Youtube. Accessed 21 May 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZNjrJqjKE [^4]: Yeni Şafak. "Those Who Did Not Fit in the Coffin: Martyr Captain Burak Gençcelep (Episode 209)" Youtube. Accessed 21 May 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZNjrJqjKE [^5]: TBMM. " Statement regarding the great sacrifice made by Martyr Captain Burak Gençcelep to avoid harming civilians." Accessed 21 May 2026. https://www5.tbmm.gov.tr/develop/owa/genel\_kurul.cl\_getir?pEid=96941 [^6]: Anadolu Ajansı. "Martyr Captain Gençcelep, who died in the crash of the Türk Yıldızları aircraft, was laid to rest." Accessed 21 May 2026. https://aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/turk-yildizlari-ucaginin-dusmesi-sonucu-sehit-olan-pilot-yuzbasi-genccelep-son-yolculuguna-ugurlandi/2201843 [^7]: Ministry of National Education. "Martyr Captain Burak Gençcelep Primary School." Accessed 21 May 2026. https://spyburakgenccelepilkokulu.meb.k12.tr/tema/index.php