Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank, born in 1971 in Zonguldak, was an academic specializing in educational technologies. He was martyred in Istanbul during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Varank pursued his education in Türkiye and the United States, served as an advisor at the Ministry of National Education, and held the position of department head at Yıldız Technical University.

Childhood and Education Years

İlhan Varank was born on January 1, 1971, in Zonguldak. His family originates from the Of district of Trabzon. The middle child in a family of three, Varank moved to Istanbul with his family at the age of one and a half. He completed his primary and secondary education at Yedikule Primary School and Şehremini High School respectively. He briefly received Quranic memorization training at the İsmailağa Quran Course but did not complete it. In 1990, he enrolled in the Mathematics Teacher Education Department of Necati Bey Faculty of Education at Uludağ University, where he completed his undergraduate studies.

Overseas Education and Academic Career

After completing his undergraduate education, he traveled to the United States on a scholarship from the Ministry of National Education. He earned a master’s degree in Computer and Instructional Technology Education at Ohio State University. During this period, he worked as an evaluator at the Ohio SchoolNet and SchoolNet Plus Educational Technology Institute. He later pursued his doctorate in Instructional Systems and Technologies at Florida State University. While completing his doctorate, he served as a performance consultant at the Center for Certified Public Management in Florida.

Return to Türkiye and Academic Appointments

In 2003, he returned to Türkiye and began his career as a research assistant at Afyon Kocatepe University. He was soon appointed to the position of assistant professor. In 2009, he became head of the Department of Computer and Instructional Technology Education. In 2010, he transferred to Yıldız Technical University, where he continued serving as department head. He was promoted to professor in 2015 and held this position until January 2016. He held visiting professorships at the University of Freiburg in Germany (2005), the University of Turku in Finland (2006), Sultan Qaboos University in Oman (2007), and Fernando Pessoa University in Portugal (2012). Between 2011 and 2013, he served as Advisor to the Minister and Head of the YEĞİTEK Group at the Ministry of National Education.

The Night of July 15, 2016

Upon learning of the coup attempt on the night of July 15, 2016, Varank immediately took to the streets. He first went to the front of the Istanbul Police Directorate on Vatan Caddesi. After learning of clashes elsewhere, he proceeded to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building (Saraçhane). While there, he was seriously wounded by gunfire from coup plotters targeting civilians, shouting “This is Çanakkale!” as he stood his ground. He attempted to calm those around him, saying “Do not be afraid.” Taken to a hospital by citizens, Varank was declared martyred there.

Memory and Grave

His funeral prayer, attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was held at Fatih Camii, after which he was laid to rest in the Şehzadebaşı Camii cemetery. His name has been given to numerous schools and science centers across Türkiye to honor his memory.

Family and Personal Life

Married and the father of two children, İlhan Varank was the elder brother of Mustafa Varank, Member of Parliament for Bursa from the AK Party.