Furkan Doğan (20 October 1991 – 31 May 2010) was a Turkish American who was residing in Turkey permanently."Furkan Doğan'ın Babasi Oğlum Amerikan Vatandaşı Olduğuna Güvenip Yola Çıktı", Milliyet, 6 June 2010 He was shot to death by the Israeli Defense Forces on the MV Mavi Marmara, in the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid. Doğan was the youngest person killed in the raid, and became a political symbol after his death.
Early life Furkan Doğan was born to ethnic Turkish parents in Troy, New York"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 in the United States and moved to Turkey at the age of two.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
He was a high school student at Kayseri Özel Hisarcıklıoğlu Fen Lisesi in Kayseri, Turkey."Furkan Doğan'ın karnesi ailesine iletilmek üzere okul müdürüne verildi" , Zaman, 18 June 2010"Furkan Doğan'ın örnek karnesi", haber7, 18 June 2010 He wanted to study medicine. He had planned to visit New York in the summer of 2010."Mourning Furkan Dogan", The Wall Street Journal, 5 June 2010, Nichole Sobechi Demotix
His father, Ahmet Doğan, who graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with an MBA in accounting, is an assistant professor of accounting at Erciyes University.
Gaza flotilla and Doğan's death Dogan was not intensely interested in politics, and his participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, was volunteered by himself. He was killed in the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid."Furkan Doğan'ın ölüm anı!" , Gazete5, 16 June 2010 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.""Şehit Furkan DOĞAN'ın günlüğündeki son sayfa...", Şehit Furkan Doğan Resmi Web Sitesi, 11 February 2011
An autopsy revealed he had suffered five gunshot wounds, to the nose, back, back of the head, left leg, and left ankle,"Gaza flotilla attack: Autopsies reveal intensity of Israeli military force", The Guardian, Robert Booth, Harriet Sherwood, Justin Vela, 4 June 2010. at a distance of 45 centimeters. A UNHCR concluded he was also shot at after he fell wounded on the floor. He was shot when he was filming the events in the ship. The United States alleged that the autopsy report was never handed over to US authorities despite repeated requests to that effect.
Reactions to his death On 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."Thousands in Turkey Mourn Victims of Israeli Raid", International Herald Trubune, Sabrina Tavernise, 3 June 2010 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.""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
U.S. authorities in Turkey have offered U.S. consular services. His funeral service was held at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul on 3 June 2010.Funeral service for Furkan Doğan
The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) condemned the attack. The Christian Science Monitor reported that his US citizenship may make it difficult to avoid a diplomatic confrontation between the US and Israel."Israeli raid on Gaza Freedom Flotilla killed US citizen Furkan Dogan", The Christian Science Monitor, Scott Peterson, 3 June 2010
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?"
Center for Constitutional Rights lawsuit In 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."Rights group brings FOIA suit on 2010 Israeli raid", Reuters. 26 May 2011. Accessed 12 June 2011
See also Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi - American and Turkish activist killed by IDF Soldiers in 2024
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