Martyr Volkan Pilavcı

Volkan Pilavcı, 36 years old, was born in the Karakeçili district of Kırıkkale, a devoted father of two children, deeply loving toward his family and passionately devoted to his homeland. On the night of 15 July 2016, during those dark hours that changed Türkiye’s destiny, he stepped onto the streets without hesitation to defend his nation and his country. That night, while Volkan Pilavcı became a martyr, his brother Erkan, his niece Elif, and his uncle’s son Hacı Pilavcı were declared heroes in history.

"Dad, there’s a coup. Should we go out?"

That night, there was a wedding in Kırıkkale. Volkan had planned to attend with his family. But upon hearing news of the coup, he called his father and asked, “Dad, there’s a coup. Should we go out?” With his father’s reply, “Of course, my son,” they set out. Armed with Turkish flags, they began walking toward the Presidential Complex. At that moment, Volkan shouted to those around him, “Don’t sleep, Ankara! If you sleep, you will never wake up again!” urging the public to take to the squares.

Fire from the Helicopter

As they neared the complex, Volkan Pilavcı was shot by gunfire from helicopters belonging to the traitorous coup plotters. He was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. Bullets lodged in his right kidney could not be removed, and he became a martyr there. He had no identification on him; he was recognized from photographs displayed at the morgue. He had passed away in his daughter’s arms.

That Night Through the Eyes of the Martyr’s Mother

His mother, Neziha Pilavcı, recounted the events as follows:

“Volkan was an exceptionally blessed child. That night, he called his father to ask permission to go out. After that, we could not reach him by phone. My grandchild called and said, ‘My uncles have been shot.’ We went to the hospital but could not find Volkan. We later learned he had become a martyr and was taken to the morgue. He died in my daughter’s arms. My other son was in intensive care. That day was unbearable. I can never forget it. I endure this pain only with the pride of being a martyr’s mother.”

Volkan Pilavcı had two children, aged five and nine. His mother also stated that the trauma she endured led to cancer, and she is still undergoing treatment.

^{The Pilavcı Family, Which Lost One Martyr and Gained Three Heroes During the Coup Attempt by FETÖ (}AA⁾

After One Son: The Martyr’s Father and Wife Speak

"May the homeland endure. We have only one homeland."

Even three years after burying his son, Martyr Volkan Pilavcı’s father, Hikmet Pilavcı, says the pain remains as fresh as on the first day. He expresses immense pride in being the father of a martyr, but also acknowledges the heavy burden that comes with it. He explains that on that night, he did not lose only one son—he also lost another son, his grandson, and his son-in-law as heroes:

“My son was deeply loved and respected by everyone around him. May the homeland endure. We have only one homeland. Of course, we will give martyrs and heroes. We will stand by our homeland. A nation without a homeland cannot exist, nor can a homeland exist without a nation. The state will hold these traitors accountable in this world, and Allah will hold them accountable in the hereafter. We know that these people will be punished both in this life and the next. This is how we find solace.”

"I can never forget his final look..."

For Volkan Pilavcı’s wife, Ümmügülsüm Pilavcı, the past three years are not merely a passage of time—they are the expression of a life incomplete, half-lived, and silent. As she recalls the night of 15 July, tears well up as she remembers the moment her husband called the people to the streets:

“That night, from our balcony, he shouted: ‘Come out! Tonight is not the time to sleep. Don’t sleep, Ankara! If you sleep tonight, you will sleep every night!’”

He was urging everyone in the neighborhood to come out. Then, as he left, he turned to us and said, “I entrust you to Allah.” I can never forget that final look.”

Pilavcı recalls that when she called her husband around 1:00 a.m., he replied, “We’re fine, heading toward the Complex.” She says that was their last conversation. Volkan Pilavcı was shot and killed by gunfire from the traitors near the Complex.

“Three years have passed. The pain we feel cannot be described. Ask us how these three years passed. When our children see their father’s children, it becomes unbearable. My husband was an extraordinary person. There is no need to recount the heroism of men like him. We have 251 martyrs and thousands of heroes. Had they not gone out that night, our homeland would have suffered terribly.”

"One Volkan fell, but thousands of Volkans are rising"

After her husband’s martyrdom, Ümmügülsüm Pilavcı’s life was profoundly shaken. Her greatest comfort lies in his noble legacy and the children he left behind:

“I have two more children. One Volkan fell, but thousands of Volkans are growing behind him. They will protect this homeland.”

Yet, the search for justice and moral reckoning continues to haunt her heart.

Addressing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pilavcı expresses her feelings as follows:

“I ask our President to reinstate the death penalty. Perhaps it will not soothe our hearts, but at least the traitors’ crimes will not go unpunished. I cannot visit my husband’s grave or touch his soil. I embrace his tombstone. But the families of those traitors can visit their loved ones in prison. If my child is growing up without a father, let their children grow up without fathers too. Let no shadow remain beside them.”

"We Are the Ababil Birds of This Country"

Hero Erkan Pilavcı recounted the events of that night alongside his older brother:

"My brother scolded those who turned back: 'Don’t go back!' After gathering the people, we turned again toward the FETÖ members. At that moment, my brother told me, 'Don’t be afraid. If they are truly Turkish soldiers, they won’t shoot us. Pull the Turkish flag from your back to the front.' We moved the Turkish flags from our backs to our fronts. As we advanced, they began shooting. I did not retreat. On the contrary, I ran toward the FETÖ members. No one was around me. Announcements began urging us to retreat. When I didn’t stop, they started scanning. When they didn’t hit me, I wondered if something had happened to my brother. As I turned back, I was shot in the right lung. I fell face down, covered in blood. I could not breathe. Fifty-two or fifty-three shrapnel fragments remained in my body; they could not be removed."

Erkan Pilavcı, invoking President Erdoğan’s words, “Strength beyond strength,” said:

“We are the Ababil birds of this country. When ugly words are spoken against our homeland, or when harm is threatened to our President, we become the Ababil birds and descend upon the enemy.”

He Saw His Martyrdom in a Dream

On the morning of 15 July, Volkan Pilavcı had told others he had dreamed of attaining the mercy of truth. That same night, at 00:25, he stepped onto the streets following President Erdoğan’s call. After being shot and seriously wounded, he became a martyr in the hospital.

His Memory Is Kept Alive

Martyr Volkan Pilavcı was buried in his hometown of Karakeçili. After his martyrdom, his name was given to a preschool in Kırıkkale: Kızılırmak Martyr Volkan Pilavcı Preschool.

With Gratitude

Volkan Pilavcı, who paid his loyalty to his nation and state with his life on the night of 15 July, left behind both immeasurable grief and profound pride. The Turkish nation will never forget his name or his memory.