Furkan Doğan (20 October 1991[1] – 31 May 2010) was a Turkish American who was residing in Turkey permanently.[2] He was shot to death by the Israeli Defense Forces on the MV Mavi Marmara, in the Gaza flotilla raid. Doğan was the youngest person killed in the raid, and became a political symbol after his death.[3][4]
Furkan Doğan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 20 October 1991 |
| Died | 31 May 2010 (aged 18) |
| Cause of death | Homicide by Shooting |
| Nationality | Turkish American |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Known for | İHH activity |
| Parent | Ahmet Doğan |
| Website | www.sehitfurkandogan.com/EN_index.html |
Early life
editFurkan Doğan was born to ethnic Turkish parents in Troy, New York[5][6] in the United States and moved to Turkey at the age of two.[7]
He was a high school student at Kayseri Özel Hisarcıklıoğlu Fen Lisesi in Kayseri, Turkey.[8][9][10] He wanted to study medicine.[11] He had planned to visit New York in the summer of 2010.[12]
His father, Ahmet Doğan, who graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with an MBA in accounting, is an assistant professor of accounting at Erciyes University.[5][13]
Gaza flotilla and Doğan's death
editDogan was not intensely interested in politics, and his participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, was volunteered by himself.[11] He was killed in the Gaza flotilla raid.[14] In his final diary entry written on the ship, he wrote about the beauty of martyrdom:
"It is the last hours to martyrdom, insha'Allah. I am wondering if there is a more beautiful thing. The more beautiful thing is only my mother, but I'm not sure. The comparison is very difficult. Martyrdom or my mother? Now, the hall has been evacuated. So far people were not serious, but they have become serious recently."[15]
An autopsy revealed he had suffered five gunshot wounds, to the nose, back, back of the head, left leg, and left ankle,[18] at a distance of 45 centimeters. A UNHCR concluded he was also shot at after he fell wounded on the floor.[11] He was shot when he was filming the events in the ship.[19][20] The United States alleged that the autopsy report was never handed over to US authorities despite repeated requests to that effect.[21]
Reactions to his death
editOn 3 June 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed his death and said U.S. officials had met with Doğan's father to express their condolences.[22] Clinton said,
"Protecting the welfare of American citizens is a fundamental responsibility of our government and one that we take very seriously. We are in constant contact with the Israeli Government, attempting to obtain more information about our citizens."[23][24]
U.S. authorities in Turkey have offered U.S. consular services.[25][26] His funeral service was held at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul on 3 June 2010.[27]
The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) condemned the attack.[28] The Christian Science Monitor reported that his US citizenship may make it difficult to avoid a diplomatic confrontation between the US and Israel.[29]
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the USA Government for being silent after Doğan's death. He asked: "Why is his death not followed by the USA, is it because of his Turkish origin?"[30]
Center for Constitutional Rights lawsuit
editIn May 2011, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. government to release documents related to its knowledge and role in the attack, which it has thus far blocked.[31]
References
edit- ^ Rotamız Filistin Yükümüz İnsani Yardım Özet Raporu (PDF) (Report). İHH. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
- ^ "Furkan Doğan'ın Babasi Oğlum Amerikan Vatandaşı Olduğuna Güvenip Yola Çıktı", Milliyet, 6 June 2010
- ^ Champion, Marc (9 July 2010). "Turkey Buries U.S. Teen Killed on Flotilla - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ "Başpiskopos Furkan Doğan mezarını ziyaret etti 28 Aralık 2010 28 Aralık 2010 Salı 23:45". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Turkey Buries Flotilla's U.S. Teen", Marc Champion, The Wall Street Journal, 5 June 2010
- ^ "Troy native among activists slain in Israeli military raid", Selcan Hacaoğlu and David Rising, Times Union (Albany), 3 June 2010
- ^ American citizen, Furkan Dogan, 19, among dead in botched Israeli raid of Gaza-bound flotilla, New York Daily News, by Michael Sheridan, 3 June 2010
- ^ "American Furkan Dogan Killed on Gaza Aid Flotilla - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ "Furkan Doğan'ın karnesi ailesine iletilmek üzere okul müdürüne verildi" Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Zaman, 18 June 2010
- ^ "Furkan Doğan'ın örnek karnesi", haber7, 18 June 2010
- ^ a b c Roger Cohen (5 September 2011). "Israel Isolates Itself". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ "Mourning Furkan Dogan", The Wall Street Journal, 5 June 2010, Nichole Sobechi Demotix
- ^ "Yrd. Doç. Dr. Ahmet DOĞAN". Iibf.erciyes.edu.tr. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ "Furkan Doğan'ın ölüm anı!" Archived 19 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Gazete5, 16 June 2010
- ^ "Şehit Furkan DOĞAN'ın günlüğündeki son sayfa...", Şehit Furkan Doğan Resmi Web Sitesi, 11 February 2011
- ^ "7 flotilla victims wanted to be martyrs, report says". Archived from the original on 16 July 2010.
- ^ "• The Last Entry Furkan Doğan Made in His Diary on the Mavi Marmara • www.furkan-dogan.com •". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ "Gaza flotilla attack: Autopsies reveal intensity of Israeli military force", The Guardian, Robert Booth, Harriet Sherwood, Justin Vela, 4 June 2010.
- ^ Report of the international fact-finding mission to investigate violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, resulting from the Israeli attacks on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian assistance* (PDF) (Report). Human Rights Council. 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ^ LIndorff, Dave (12 June 2010). "Israeli Disinformation Challenged: New Smuggled Clip Shows IDF Commandos Kicking and Apparently Shooting Victim". This Can't Be Happening!. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "US complains requests for Furkan's autopsy fell on deaf ears". Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ^ "Thousands in Turkey Mourn Victims of Israeli Raid", International Herald Trubune, Sabrina Tavernise, 3 June 2010
- ^ "Secretary Clinton on Death of American on Flotilla: 'Protecting the Welfare of American Citizens is a Fundamental Responsibility of Our Government'", ABC News senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper, 3 June 2010
- ^ Nicole Gaouette (3 June 2010). "American Citizen Was Shot Dead During Israeli Raid on Flotilla, U.S. Says". Bloomberg L.P.
- ^ Rising, David (3 June 2010). "Turkey honors 8 slain activists, including U.S. teen". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ "Flotilla dead mourned in Turkey". Jpost.com. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ Funeral service for Furkan Doğan [permanent dead link]
- ^ "American Citizen Among those Killed in Israeli Attack on Mavi Marmara - Salem-News.Com". www.salem-news.com. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "Israeli raid on Gaza Freedom Flotilla killed US citizen Furkan Dogan", The Christian Science Monitor, Scott Peterson, 3 June 2010
- ^ "Erdoğan'dan ABD'ye 'Furkan' sitemi - Son Dakika Dünya Haberleri". CNN TÜRK (in Turkish). 12 July 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "Rights group brings FOIA suit on 2010 Israeli raid", Reuters. 26 May 2011. Accessed 12 June 2011