Ahmet Benler commemorated in Marmaris 47 years after The Hague attack

By Yusuf İnan | Wise News Press

MARMARIS, Türkiye — Ahmet Benler, killed in a 1979 terrorist attack in The Hague at age 27, was commemorated in Marmaris on the 47th anniversary of his death at a ceremony attended by students, relatives and officials.

The program at Şehit Ahmet Benler Primary School sought to preserve Benler’s memory and teach younger generations about the attacks that targeted Turkish diplomats, public officials and their relatives abroad. Members of Benler’s family attended the ceremony, which also included a live connection with the Turkish Embassy in The Hague.

Students and relatives attend memorial ceremony

Marmaris District Governor Nurullah Kaya, District Director of National Education Serap Aksel, members of the Benler family, school administrators, teachers, students and parents attended the ceremony.

During the program, students were told about Benler’s life and the circumstances surrounding his death. They also read poems in memory of Benler and other Turkish officials and family members killed in attacks abroad.

The school’s connection to Benler was a central part of the ceremony. Speakers said preserving his name through an educational institution helped students understand the past while developing a sense of civic responsibility and historical awareness.

The participation of Benler’s relatives strengthened the connection between the family’s personal memory and the school’s educational mission. His name was remembered through student presentations and poems as well as the institution that bears it.

District governor stresses historical awareness

Marmaris District Governor Nurullah Kaya said preserving the memory of those killed in attacks and passing their stories to future generations carried particular importance.

Kaya said the presence of Ahmet Benler’s name at a school helped students learn about the past and understand the significance of public service, national memory and responsibility.

He commemorated Benler and others who lost their lives while serving Türkiye or because of their connection to Turkish diplomatic missions. Kaya also thanked the school administration and teachers who prepared the program.

Speakers at the ceremony said memorial events have a responsibility extending beyond recalling painful historical events. They also provide an opportunity to explain the lasting consequences of terrorism and political violence to younger generations.

Live connection established with The Hague

A live connection was established between the school and the Turkish Embassy in The Hague during the program. Burak Akçapar, Türkiye’s ambassador to the Netherlands, joined remotely and addressed those attending the ceremony.

Akçapar said Benler’s memory continued to be preserved in Türkiye’s diplomatic institutions as well as at the school in Marmaris.

The online meeting created a direct link between The Hague, where the attack occurred, and Marmaris, where Benler’s name is preserved through education. Students were able to hear how the embassy maintains the institutional memory of the attack and commemorates its victims.

According to official embassy records, a memorial dedicated to Benler stands on the front of the Turkish diplomatic mission in The Hague. Ceremonies have been held there over the years to commemorate Benler and other Turkish officials killed in attacks abroad.

The live connection also allowed embassy representatives to learn about the activities organized by the school. The cooperation has created an ongoing channel between educational and diplomatic institutions in the two cities.

Benler was targeted on October 12, 1979

According to Turkish Foreign Ministry records, Ahmet Benler was the son of Özdemir Benler, Türkiye’s ambassador to the Netherlands at the time of the attack.

Benler was studying computer-related subjects and was traveling to his school by car on October 12, 1979, when he was shot near the Turkish Embassy in The Hague. He was 27 years old.

Historical records maintained by the Turkish Foreign Ministry state that ASALA and JCAG claimed responsibility for the attack. Previous official commemorations have also highlighted that the perpetrators were not brought before a court, despite the decades that have passed.

Benler is included in the Foreign Ministry’s official register of diplomats, public officials and family members killed in attacks outside Türkiye. The record preserves the names of people who were targeted either because of their official duties or their relationship with diplomatic personnel.

His place in Türkiye’s diplomatic memory

Benler’s killing forms part of the history of attacks directed at Turkish diplomatic missions during the 1970s and 1980s. The Foreign Ministry’s records include ambassadors, consuls general, attachés, other embassy employees and members of their families.

Benler did not hold a diplomatic position. He is listed among the family members who were targeted because of their relationship with Turkish representatives abroad.

Official memorial ceremonies seek to preserve more than the names of those killed. They also provide information about the period in which the attacks occurred and the effects of violence on diplomatic personnel and their families.

The memorial in The Hague and the school in Marmaris serve as two physical centers of that remembrance. One stands close to where the attack occurred, while the other introduces Benler’s story to new generations of students in Türkiye.

School preserves Benler’s name through education

Records from previous memorial ceremonies state that Şehit Ahmet Benler Primary School was built with contributions from Benler’s family and named in his memory.

The school organizes annual programs that allow students to learn about his life and the historical background of the attack. These activities place his story within an educational setting instead of limiting remembrance to a single anniversary.

Earlier ceremonies included a moment of silence, the Turkish national anthem, student speeches and poetry readings. A memorial tree was also planted in the school grounds, while flowers were placed at the Ahmet Benler memorial corner inside the building.

Student participation again formed an important part of this year’s program. Through poems and presentations, the ceremony became an educational activity explaining the life represented by the name displayed at the entrance to their school.

Marmaris and The Hague maintain memorial connection

The memorial work conducted in Marmaris and The Hague preserves Benler’s name within both local education and Türkiye’s diplomatic institutions.

Communication between the school and the embassy allows commemorations in the two cities to be organized around a shared historical memory. It also gives students an opportunity to understand how institutions preserve records of people affected by terrorism and political violence.

The program concluded after contributions from students, educators, public officials and members of Benler’s family. The messages delivered during the ceremony focused on passing his story to future generations, remembering those killed in attacks and maintaining historical awareness.

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