Erol Olçok is a communications expert and businessman who operated in the field of political communication and advertising in Türkiye and played an active role in shaping the institutional identity of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). He was killed on 15 July 2016 alongside his 16-year-old son Abdullah Tayyip Olçok on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul.

Origin and Family

The Olçok family belongs to the Tletseruk lineage of the Adigs, indigenous peoples of the North Caucasus. After being exiled to Ottoman territories during the 1864 Circassian deportation, the family settled first in Orhaniye village of Çamardı district in Niğde, then moved to Mecidiyekavak village in Çorum.

Childhood and Education Years

Erol Olçok was born on 5 March 1962 in Mecidiyekavak village of Çorum. He received his primary education at the village school. From an early age he developed a curiosity for books and formed the dream of Istanbul in his mind. He later attended Çorum Imam Hatip High School. During his high school years he became interested in drawing and art and participated in practical activities such as theater and sign design. In 1982 he enrolled in the Department of Aesthetics and History of Art at the Faculty of Letters, Istanbul University.

Professional Career and Political Communication Activities

After university, he founded Slayt Reklam in 1987, Rekpa Reklam in 1988, and Ajans E in 1989. He conducted his first political campaign during the 1994 Local Elections. In the same year he served as Press Advisor at İstanbul Ulaşım A.Ş. In 1995 he became Press Advisor to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, then Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. In 1998 he founded Arter Reklam Ajansı and designed the name, logo, and institutional identity of the AK Party. He managed the AK Party’s election campaigns from the 2002 General Elections until 2015.

15 July 2016 and Martyrdom

Upon learning of the coup attempt on 15 July 2016, Erol Olçok immediately took to the streets with his son Abdullah Tayyip, first going to Altunizade and then to the Bosphorus Bridge (now known as 15 July Martyrs Bridge). While resisting elements loyal to FETÖ, he was shot while trying to protect his son. Abdullah Tayyip Olçok was also targeted by gunfire as he ran toward his father. Father and son were both killed that same night. Their funerals were held at Karacaahmet Cemetery.

Aftermath

Erol Olçok’s name has been given to numerous public institutions and facilities, including stadiums, hospitals, schools, and libraries. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Olçok as “my comrade on the path.” Former President Abdullah Gül, the 11th President of Türkiye, remembered him with the words, “Erol has a great debt owed to us.”