Following the completion of their work there, they boarded the Pamir Airways flight to Kabul, which never arrived at its destination. The plane, on a flight from the northern city of Kunduz, went down about 60 miles from Kabul.
The aircraft was carrying 38 passengers plus 5 crew members. Rescuers are still on their way to the crash site near the 12,700-foot-high Salang Pass.
Faruk Aktas and Bahattin Yildiz had left Istanbul on Wednesday, the 12th of May, to Afghanistan.
Bahattin Yildiz:
He was born in Sivas, in 1956. In 1975, he graduated from Izmir Imam Hatip High School. In 1987 he received his undergraduate degree from Management Faculty of Erzurum Ataturk University. His articles were published in numerous periodicals including Mavera, Guldeste, Gurbet and Milli Gazete newspaper. He is currently writing for http://www.worldbulletin.com . His books include Savasan Afganistan, Kar Cicegi, Karda Ayak Izleri and Gullerin Vedasi. He is the father of 3 daughters and 2 sons, 5 children in total.
Faruk Aktas:
He was born in 1974 in Igdir. He went to school in Igdir. His father died at very young age. He grew up as an orphan. In 2002, he received his undergraduate degree in Islamic Law at the University of Islam in Pakistan. He has a 6-year-old son, named Muhammed Ferzan. His family currently lives in Istanbul. He began working for IHH (The Foundation For Human Rights And Freedoms And Humanitarian Relief) 6 months ago. He speaks fluent English, Arabic and Urdu in addition to his native tongue, Turkish.