Young Moroccan martyred in defense of Turkey’s freedom

By Yasin al-Ashiri

TANGIER, Morocco (AA) – Only days before Jawad Marun was to return to his native Morocco after spending six years in Turkey, he was killed by renegade troops within Turkey’s military who attempted to overthrow the elected government last Friday.

Jawad, 32, had first come to Turkey -- a free and politically stable country -- seeking a better future for himself and his family.

During Friday’s abortive coup bid by a renegade army faction (linked to the "parallel state", the terrorist organization led by U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen), Jawad hit the streets with his Turkish friends in response to calls by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to rally in defense of democracy.

While facing off against the putschists’ tanks in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, however, Jawad -- along with dozens of other demonstrators -- was shot dead by pro-coup soldiers.

Anadolu Agency has since visited the Marun family’s home in Morocco’s northern city of Tangier and spoken to the slain man’s father and pregnant wife.

"Jawad, who had been waiting for his first son, had worked as a street vendor in Turkey," Abdul Salam Marun, Jawad’s father, told Anadolu Agency.

"But he was unfortunately killed in Taksim Square during last week’s failed coup attempt," he said.

"I was informed of his death on Saturday morning," the grieving father recalled. "His wife told me Jawad had been killed while taking part in the anti-coup demonstrations."

Jawad’s father still has not heard from Moroccan officials regarding the legal procedures required for retrieving his son’s body, saying only that he had been visited by a local official who had requested some information about his late son.

On Friday night, President Erdogan called on the Turkish people to converge on the country’s public squares and airports in defiance of the coup attempt.

His call was met by massive protests in various Turkish cities in support of the country’s democratically-elected government.

Jawad appears to have been the first Moroccan national to be killed during last week’s dramatic events in Turkey.

Anadolu Agency has yet to obtain comment from the Moroccan authorities regarding the number of Moroccans killed or injured during the failed coup bid.

At least 164 people lost their lives while confronting the putschists in capital Ankara and Istanbul, according to preliminary reports.

Meanwhile, 2,839 military personnel allegedly involved in the coup attempt have been arrested, while 20 pro-coup soldiers -- including some senior officers -- were killed during their bid to overthrow the government.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Ali Abo Rezeg contributed to this report from Ankara