Pençe-Kilit martyrs sent off to their hometowns

The bodies of 9 soldiers who were martyred in a terrorist attack in the Pençe-Kilit region have been sent off to their hometowns with a ceremony. A ceremony was held at the 23rd Infantry Division Command in Şırnak for the martyrs: Infantry First Lieutenant Gökhan Delen, Infantry Specialist Sergeant Ahmet Köroğlu, Infantry Specialist Sergeant Serkan Sayin, Infantry Specialist Sergeant Hakan Gün, Infantry Contracted Private Kemal Batur, Infantry Contracted Private Emrullah Gülmez, Combat Engineer Contracted Private Muhammed Tunahan Evcin, Infantry Contracted Private Müslüm Özdemir, and Combat Engineer Contracted Private Murat Atar.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Governor Cevdet Atay, Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak, Commander of the Land Forces General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Commander of the Naval Forces Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Commander of the Air Forces General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, AK Party Şırnak Deputy Arslan Tatar, Mayor Mehmet Yarka, 23rd Infantry Brigade Commander Major General Emre Tayanç, representatives of public institutions, and the martyrs' comrades-in-arms.

The bodies of the martyrs were brought to the ceremony area, and their biographies were read. After prayers were offered, the body of martyr Infantry First Lieutenant Gökhan Delen was sent to Aksaray, Infantry Specialist Sergeant Ahmet Köroğlu to Giresun, Specialist Sergeant Serkan Sayin to Adıyaman, Infantry Specialist Sergeant Hakan Gün to Gaziantep, Infantry Contracted Private Kemal Batur to Niğde, Combat Engineer Contracted Private Muhammed Tunahan Evcin to Eskişehir, Infantry Contracted Private Müslüm Özdemir and Infantry Contracted Private Emrullah Gülmez to Kahramanmaraş, and Combat Engineer Contracted Private Murat Atar to Ordu, via Şırnak Şerafettin Elçi Airport.

The following statement was issued by the Ministry of National Defense (MSB):

"A ceremony was held in Şırnak for our heroic comrades-in-arms, Inf. 1st Lt. Gökhan Delen, Inf. Spec. Sgt. Serkan Sayin, Inf. Spec. Sgt. Hakan Gün, Inf. Spec. Sgt. Ahmet Köroğlu, Inf. Cont. Pvt. Müslüm Özdemir, Inf. Cont. Pvt. Kemal Batur, Inf. Cont. Pvt. Emrullah Gülmez, Combat Eng. Cont. Pvt. Murat Atar, and Combat Eng. Cont. Pvt. Muhammed Tunahan Evcin, whom we lost as martyrs in the terrorist attack in the Pençe-Kilit Operation zone.

The ceremony at the 23rd Infantry Division Command was attended by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, accompanied by Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak, Commander of the Naval Forces Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Commander of the Land Forces General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, and Commander of the Air Forces General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu. Our heroic martyrs were sent off to their hometowns for burial following the ceremony."

Pençe-Kilit Harekât bölgesindeki terörist saldırısında şehit verdiğimiz kahraman silah arkadaşlarımız P.Ütğm. Gökhan Delen, P.Uzm.Çvş. Serkan Sayin, P.Uzm.Çvş. Hakan Gün, P.Uzm.Çvş. Ahmet Köroğlu, P.Söz. Er Müslüm Özdemir, P.Söz. Er Kemal Batur, P.Söz. Er Emrullah Gülmez, İs.Söz.… pic.twitter.com/qDJSblSIbW

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) January 13, 2024