Gökhan Yıldırım went to the General Staff Headquarters upon the call of President Erdoğan on the night of the July 15th coup attempt. He was martyred after the shooting by a helicopter. He had a 10 year old son.
Gökhan went outside around 10:30 PM upon the call of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He fell as a martyr during the shooting by a helicopter, as he was resisting the putschists. His family was unable to reach him, since he didn’t have a phone. The police found his uncle’s phone in Gökhan’s pockets, after he was taken to the Veteran Hospital. His family eventually learned that he was in intensive care. He became one of the first martyrs of the night.
He was buried in the Yenice Village of the Kaman district of Kırşehir, on July 18th. His mother who he had not seen for years, attended the funeral as well. His son Saffet Yıldırım, did a prayer for his martyred father.
“I’m all alone”
Gökhan’s father died when he was 8 months old. His mother left the two brothers and married another man. When Mevlüt Yıldırım lost his brother in the traitorous assault, he said, “We had just each other in this world. We didn’t have parents. I’m all alone now.”
34 year old Gökhan Yıldırım had a divorce 5 years ago. Yıldırım, who had a 10 year old son, worked as a curtain seller.