Gökhan Esen, who was fighting putschists in Çengelköy during the coup attempt of July 15th, was martyred in the shootout while trying to save his brother had been shot in his leg.
The martyr Gökhan Esen went into the streets after President Erdoğan’s call on the night of the July 15th coup attempt. His family heard about the injury of his brother Volkan before the news of Gökhan’s martyrdom. The veteran Volkan lost a finger, got shot in his leg and was severely injured. Gökhan who continued his resistance in Çengelköy saved his brother from the shooting but was martyred in front of the police station.
He and his severely injured brother were in the same hospital
The two brothers were taken to the Ümraniye State Hospital. Gökhan Esen died when his brother Volkan was undergoing surgery. Esen’s family did not receive the devastating news of the martyrdom of Gökhan Esen until around 7:00 AM when Volkan left the surgery. Esen’s body was delivered to his family at the same time when the body of Yeni Şafak Photojournalist Mustafa Cambaz was delivered to his family. His body was buried in Istanbul on July 17th. Esen’s name was given to the school which was converted from Fatih Koleji to an İmam Hatip High School.
The martyr Gökhan Esen, who was very interested in politics, was born in Istanbul in 1980. He worked at a sugar factory in Kırıkkale.
He attended elementary school in Istanbul and finished middle school in Kahramanmaraş. Esen, who was originally from Kahramanmaraş, suffered from epilepsy. 
