Commander, I have come to be Ömer Halisdemir.

On our soil, lullabies for children are not sung to say “sleep and grow,” but rather: “Grow quickly, mature quickly, my son, so you may guard your homeland.” We are that noble nation, born from cradle to grave as soldiers, every child a potential anonymous hero. One of the brightest links in this sacred chain was Martyr Süleyman Ural, who carried within his heart an unextinguished flame of love for his homeland. His story is not the tale of a passing ambition, but the epic of unwavering devotion—a young life entirely dedicated to a cause.

^{Martyr Süleyman Ural (Source: Seher Ural Çiçekdemir)}

Even as a very young man, Süleyman resolved to follow in the footsteps of the great hero who changed the fate of these lands in a single night—Ömer Halisdemir. The words he spoke to those around him—his friends, his family—were not a simple wish. What were those words? “I will become Ömer Halisdemir.”

These words were the taking up of a banner. For he understood that Ömer Halisdemir was not merely a person, but the name of the unshakable force that stood before the nation to defend its honor. Heroism. When Süleyman’s path led him to the grueling Special Forces Command examinations, he was not just another candidate facing the stern gazes of the commanders. He had not come there for a rank or a uniform. In the most intense moment of selection, standing straight before his commander, looking him directly in the eyes, he uttered that historic phrase: “Commander, I have come here to become Ömer Halisdemir!”

^{Martyr Süleyman Ural (Source: Seher Ural Çiçekdemir)}

This statement was the greatest declaration a soldier could make. It was the most honorable way of saying: “I am ready to die, I have sacrificed everything for this homeland, I will not look back, I fear no enemy.” When Süleyman stepped through that door, he was no longer merely Süleyman—he had become the embodied spirit of a thousand-year military tradition. When he placed the maroon beret upon his head, it was no longer just a piece of wool; it was a monument of honor, the nation’s dignity.

For us, “homeland” is far more than the land upon which we live. Homeland is Süleyman’s last breath. Homeland is the moment Ömer pulled the trigger. Homeland is that courageous voice saying: “I have come here to become Ömer Halisdemir.”

Martyr Süleyman Ural, you achieved your goal. You joined that great hero, walking beside him with the same upright dignity and honor. It now falls to us to preserve the pure legacy you left behind. Today, your name lives on the walls of a school, on street signs—but most of all, in the heart of this nation.

Let it never be forgotten: in this land, cowards may love the smoky air, but the lions of these soil never sleep. So long as there are heroes like Süleyman, the call to prayer will never fall silent, nor will the red flag ever cease descending from the sky. Salute to those noble children, salute to the Süleymans who came here to become Ömer Halisdemir! ^【1】