Erdal Eren

Erdal Eren was a far-left militant executed by hanging in the aftermath of the military coup in September 1980 in Turkey. Eren was born on the 25 September 1961 or March 1962 in Şebinkarahisar, Giresun. His death sparked outrage in the Turkish society, as, according to his lawyer, he was 17 years old at the time of his execution. However, his father wrote in his letter to Kenan Evren that during the event Zekeriya Önge was killed, Eren was 18 years and 4 months old. Eren was a student at a vocational high school in Ankara and a member of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Association. He was also a member of the Hoxhaist Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey.

He was arrested on the 2 February 1980 during a protest against the murder of Sinan Suner, who had been killed by a member of the security detail of from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). and Eren was prosecuted and sentenced to death for the murder on 19 March. During trial Eren denied having killed Önge Eren was hanged on the 13 December 1980 in Ulucanlar prison and buried in Karşıyaka cemetery. The coup leader, Kenan Evren, claimed that Eren was a terrorist and had murdered Önge by shooting him from behind.

Legacy Every year mourners would hold meetings in his memory at his grave In June 2015, the municipal assembly of Aydın decided to change the name of Kenan Evren street in Kuşadası district into Erdal Eren street.