Martyr families across Turkey mark Eid with emotional grave visits

By Yusuf İnan | Wise News Press

ANKARA, TURKEY — As the Muslim world awoke to celebrate the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, families of fallen security forces and earthquake victims across Turkey flocked to cemeteries early in the morning, turning a day of traditional joy into a solemn occasion of remembrance, prayer, and enduring grief.

The nationwide visits, spanning from the historic Edirnekapi Martyrdom in Istanbul to the earthquake graveyards of Hatay, highlight the lasting impact of terror conflicts, cross-border military operations, and natural disasters on Turkish society. For these families, the holiday season is marked not by festive gatherings at home, but by quiet moments spent cleaning marble tombstones, planting fresh flowers, and sharing their deep sorrow with others who have suffered similar irreplaceable losses.

Edirnekapi and Karsiyaka: A legacy of sorrow and pride

According to reports from Anadolu Agency (AA), the Edirnekapi Martyrdom in Istanbul and the Karsiyaka Cemetery in the capital city of Ankara witnessed a heavy influx of visitors from the earliest hours of the morning. Families could be seen washing the graves of their loved ones, reciting verses from the Quran, and offering traditional holiday sweets and Turkish delight to fellow mourners passing by.

Aysel Gurel, the mother of Contracted Private Halil Ibrahim Gurel who was martyred in the Cukurca district of Hakkari in 2017, expressed the agonizing contrast of the holiday. She noted that while other families embrace their children on Eid mornings, they are left to embrace cold gravestones.

"May the homeland survive, but there is no description for this pain. He can never come back. May God never test anyone with the loss of a child. Whenever they say Eid is approaching, storms break out in my heart. Eid does not come to us," Gurel said.

Fellow mourner Tuncer Yuglali, who visits the cemetery every holiday without fail, shared a message of faith and resilience. "May the ranks of our martyrs be exalted and their resting places be heaven. We celebrated his holiday; I kiss my uncle's hands. He was our precious one. May God not give this pain to anyone," he stated.

For some, the journey to the gravesite involves crossing cities. Fikret Ayaz, who traveled all the way from the Soke district of Aydin to visit his martyred nephew, remarked that the emotional toll of these visits is incredibly difficult to put into words.

The heavy burden of the first Eid without a son

The pain was particularly raw for those experiencing their first holiday without their children. Habib Gultekin, the father of Ahmet Gultekin who was martyred on July 6, 2025, during the cross-border Claw-Lock (Pence-Kilit) Operation in northern Iraq, stood proudly yet sorrowfully by his son's resting place. "Without our martyrs, this homeland would not exist, and this flag would not wave. May the homeland live on," the grieving father expressed.

Younger generations also paid their respects. Efe Aktan, visiting the martyrdom, emphasized the debt the nation owes to the fallen. "We are here today because of them. As the youth, the homeland is entrusted to us. I hope we can follow in the footsteps of our martyrs, be worthy children of this nation, and honor their legacy," Aktan said.

The passage of time does not seem to heal all wounds. Serife Cakir, the older sister of Kemal Kahveci, recounted the heartbreak of her brother returning home in a shroud just two days before his military discharge 33 years ago. "For 33 years, our first stop on every holiday has been here. My mother can no longer come due to her age, and we experience the sorrow of that as well. One does not know what to say. May God protect our state and nation, and may we have no more martyrs," she added. Similar poignant scenes played out at the Karacaahmet Cemetery in Uskudar, where citizens flocked to pray for their lost relatives.

Emotional moments in Izmir and Kayseri

The solemn atmosphere was replicated at the Kadifekale Air Martyrdom in Izmir on the western coast. Families gathered to maintain the graves and leave fresh bouquets of flowers. Latife Alpaslan traveled from Istanbul to Izmir to visit her son, Specialist Corporal Ahmet Alpaslan, who was martyred in Idlib, Syria, in 2020.

"My son loved the holidays very much. He always spent time with us. Right now, we have no holiday. We just come to Ahmet. I am a martyr's mother, and I feel strong. Long live the state and the homeland, and may the flag never be lowered," Alpaslan stated, reflecting a profound sense of patriotic endurance.

In the central Anatolian province of Kayseri, Yusuf Kocyigit, the father of Pilot First Lieutenant Volkan Kocyigit who died in a tragic helicopter crash 17 years ago, admitted that the pain has never subsided. "We are suffering. On holidays, we used to want our doors knocked on and our hands kissed by our children. We used to be full of joy. May God protect everyone from the pain of losing a child," he said.

At the Sivas Yukari Tekke Cemetery, families gathered at both the Garrison and Police martyrdoms to pray. In Ankara, Nese Purlu, the mother of First Lieutenant Sukru Purlu who was martyred in a 2011 military helicopter crash, could not hold back her tears as she carefully wiped the dust from her son's tombstone. Meanwhile, in Istanbul's Umraniye district, the grave of police officer Seyda Yilmaz, who was martyred in an armed attack on September 22, 2024, was adorned with a poignant butterfly bouquet and holiday candies left by mourning colleagues and loved ones.

Hatay remembers the February 6 earthquake victims

The landscape of grief extended beyond military losses to the victims of the devastating natural disaster that struck southern Turkey. In the Antakya district of Hatay, survivors of the catastrophic February 6, 2023 earthquakes spent the first morning of Eid at the Narlica Earthquake Cemetery.

Citizens arrived at dawn to water the soil and place flowers on the graves of their spouses, children, and parents. Tecettin Faiz, 63, who lost three of his children to the rubble, visited their graves wearing a bright red tie.

"I dressed up just as I always do every holiday, for their sake," Faiz explained with a heavy heart. "At 63 years old, after this point, nothing has any taste left. Only one of my daughters survived; I lost the rest. Even if everything in the world was perfect now, life is over for us. May God make their resting place heaven. The Lord loved them more and took them to His side."

Fatma Ontoplar, who visited the graves of her aunt, brother-in-law, and nephews, echoed the silent devastation felt by many earthquake survivors. "We look at the grave and remain silent, but when we go home, our insides burn like fire. The holiday passes meaninglessly without them; we are just so deeply sad," she shared. Another survivor, Nezaket Calir, simply added that the pain they continue to live with remains completely indescribable.

www.wisenewspress.com