Halil Ibrahim (Folk Song)

Halil İbrahim Türküsü is a folk music piece composed by Dursun Ali Akınet, inspired by the life story of Halil İbrahim, who was born in 1931 in the Fatsa district of Ordu.

Early Life and Personal Characteristics

Halil İbrahim was born in 1931 in the Fatsa district of Ordu. He earned his living by repairing clocks and gramophones in Fatsa and was described by those around him as someone who paid close attention to his appearance, was clean, meticulous and honest. He married a woman known as “Çolak Ahmet’s daughter,” and they had one daughter and one son.

In 1951, Halil İbrahim was called up for military service. Although he did not wish to leave his family, he went to serve. During the first months of his military service, he received a letter from individuals who harbored hostility toward him. The letter informed him that his wife’s father had given his family to another person and that the village head had seized Halil İbrahim’s land.

Upon receiving this news, Halil İbrahim deserted from the military, returned to Fatsa, and killed the village head. He was quickly apprehended due to his desertion and commission of murder. After his arrest, soldiers tied him to a telephone pole and shot him multiple times in the head. This incident completely shattered his mental balance. He later completed his military service and returned to his hometown.

Isolation and Death

After returning from military service, Halil İbrahim searched for his family and learned that his wife’s father had sent her to Terme. He closed his shop, began working from home, carried his weapon with him at all times, and lived in isolation. He maintained limited contact with society until 1980, spending most of his time listening to gramophone records.

Before the events of September 12, 1980, his house was completely destroyed in a fire. He then began living in the forest. Unable to remain in the forest due to harsh weather conditions, he took shelter in a house belonging to Dursun Ali, a well-liked figure in the village. However, unable to accept this situation as a matter of pride, he later moved to a barn also owned by Dursun Ali. One night, a large-scale operation was launched in the village to combat terrorist activities. Halil İbrahim, who was in the barn, was mistaken for a terrorist by the soldiers. Although Dursun Ali intervened, Halil İbrahim fled the barn fearing the soldiers would harm him, began living as an outlaw, and was shot and killed shortly afterward.

Following the incident, the commanding officer of the time expressed sorrow over the event, but Halil İbrahim’s son, who lived in Terme, did not attend to his father’s funeral. The burial was carried out by a few villagers. After these events, Dursun Ali Akınet composed a folk song about Halil İbrahim’s life, which over time became an important piece of Ordu’s folk music tradition.