Country of Türkiye, province of Erzurum, village of Güzelyurt.
It has been snowing continuously for a week. We are in the spring season right now, but it's still snowing in Erzurum. In school lessons, it is said that the weather becomes beautiful with the rain that falls in the spring, but in Erzurum, winter is experienced for 8 months.
The village of Güzelyurt is about 30 km away from the city center of Erzurum. It is a small village where about 250 people live. Because it is suitable for animal husbandry, his family's livelihood is animal husbandry.
Mehmet Aydemir is 17 years old and in his senior year of high school. His father, Hasan Aldemir, is 52 years old, and his mother, Hatice Aldemir, is 45 years old. His older brother, Veysel Aldemir, changed the lives of people who contracted meningitis when he was still a baby. Because his family did not have a child for a long time, when Mehmet was born, his father slaughtered one of their cows to treat the whole village to a meal. His younger sister, who goes to primary school, was also born later. 8-year-old Belkis Aldemir is in the 3rd grade of primary school. With her two small ponytails, Semra is the joy of her family.
After the death of his first child, Hasan Aldemir took his wife with him and migrated to Adana. After working there for a while in jobs like porter, farming, and driving, he couldn't stand the hot weather and returned to his hometown with a longing for Erzurum.
Mehmet attends Atatürk High School in his senior year. He will take the university entrance exam this year. There are 2 months left until the exam, but Mehmet has no hope of getting a good score. Since his family's financial situation was not good, he didn't go to a cram school and prepared by reading books he got from the school library. He loves Russian literature, and reading history is also very enjoyable. Although he is not a disciplined and diligent student, he loves to read and research. He follows Chinese novels, Japanese manga, and Korean TV series on his mobile phone. That is, if his 20 GB internet data plan doesn't run out! He is an average student in his class and doesn't have many friends. Watching the 10 seasons of his favorite TV show, Stargate SG-1, twice from beginning to end, and the idea of traveling to other civilizations and going far away has always felt exciting to him for some reason. He hasn't been able to find friends with the same interests as him.
Sitting in the back row, Mehmet suddenly awakens from his dream world as the bell rings. The history teacher, Semra, who enters the class, is a middle-aged woman. She describes the reforms made after 1923 and Atatürk very vividly in every one of her lessons. She would particularly emphasize in every lesson that the Republic of Turkey is the heir and the rebirth of the Ottoman Empire, which spread across three continents. She would criticize people in Turkey for choosing between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey and hating one of them in every lesson. The occupation of our country's lands by European countries and the struggle in destitution have been painful for all generations. She would say that we should look at the Ottoman Empire as we would look at a person, that there is no need to overly glorify it but that it is also wrong to disparage it. She would explain that the Republic of Turkey was established with great difficulty and that we made reforms compatible with Westerners given the conditions of that day. She always emphasizes the importance of geopolitics, explaining that a British-centered 'Global Village' system has been affecting all of humanity and countries for 200 years, that it is impossible to avoid it, that the subject cannot be understood through political arguments, and that of course, those who manage this system manipulate some historical events. Mehmet has always enjoyed this class. Thanks to this class, he has developed an understanding where Ottomans, Turkey, and Atatürk can all coexist, instead of feelings of hatred. Teacher Semra was teaching about the development process of Turkish identity today. Mehmet had a particular curiosity about this subject. He was especially curious about this subject because he knew his mother was Kurdish, his father was Turkish, and his paternal great-grandmother was Arab. In Turkey, the problem of the terrorist organization PKK still exists. Teacher Semra also opens up the topic of terrorism and continues to talk about Turkish identity.
Teacher Semra: Do you think all 28 people in this class are Turkish?
This topic is a bit of a taboo subject and is generally not discussed in official institutions. However, because Teacher Semra encourages people to express their opinions and doesn't look down on anyone for their thoughts, those with different opinions in the class raise their hands and speak. A student named Ahmet raises his hand.
Ahmet: I am Kurdish, not Turkish! One of my family members died in the mountains for this struggle.
Teacher Semra: Ahmet, thank you for honestly expressing your opinion. So, who was it who imposed the idea of 'You're either a Kurd or a Turk' on us? In our country, sociologists influenced by Gladio placed this kind of idea in our minds. So, is there a need to say of Kurdish origin? I don't think so. A person can be both Turkish and Kurdish. Of course, these are not equivalent! One is your ethnicity, the other is your national identity. In addition, a person can have dozens of identities, such as a team fan identity, a professional identity, being an animal lover, or a friendship circle. Why should these be in conflict with each other? Why should our human side, and our side close to nature with animals due to our material existence, be in conflict with each other? Even our beliefs are an identity. People of the same religion can have different sectarian identities. And those of the same sect can be divided into different communities, and within the same community, into groups that dislike each other. I am an Alevi, and since I was born in Tunceli and my family is still there, I have a strong connection with this city, I have a cat at home, and I also have a teacher identity. A relative of mine once told me they were both Alevi in identity and an Atheist. This might seem very contradictory to you. However, for him, the Alevi belief describes a family bond, like an ethnicity. But in the end, both his Alevi identity and his Atheist identity are unshakable parts of who he is. If I have a debate with him, he will perceive it as if I'm making fun of his identity, and he will, in turn, attack my identity. This is why the issue of identity is very important. If we do not establish a high threshold on this issue, the debates and condescending viewpoints in our country will continue. That is why the issue of identity is very important. Turkish identity encompasses everyone living in Turkey who has taken this country's official identity. In fact, if we want to make a broader generalization, we can say that a foreigner who speaks Turkish or drinks Turkish tea can also carry traces of a Turkish identity. Some of us may have had a Turkish ethnic identity going back 7-8 generations, but what is truly binding for our country is that everyone with the official Turkish identity is Turkish. There is no conflict between these identities. Who is 'more Turkish' than whom is also a very absurd debate. You have taken different history classes during your four years of high school. What is the real binding aspect of Turkish identity? My opinion is that the foundation of Turkish identity is 'Turkish Culture.' I think that Turkish Culture has passed through the alembic of time and has been refined as a result of interactions. I also have an image for this. The Turkish Sword is a sharp sword that emerges after throwing away the useless parts of all the minerals it has collected, that is, by being forged with fire and a hammer many times. I see the discarded scraps as the sediments that accumulate in our hearts. You might think I am looking at this a bit emotionally, but as a person grows, they suffer in this life, and our most painful emotions create islets of hatred in our hearts. As a result, the Turkish Sword, which is always freed from its grudge and hatred, has always been the Sword of Justice for humanity.
At that moment, a person named Cemal was talking with his friends next to him, and Teacher Semra was also distracted. The class was about to end, and Teacher Semra did not intervene, thinking that she had talked too much and tired the students. Cemal had a rebellious personality in his class and came to school under family pressure. Mehmet gets annoyed by the noise.
Mehmet: Cemal, don't interrupt our teacher's class!
With a look full of hatred towards Mehmet, Cemal: Okay!
After the bell rings, Teacher Semra says goodbye to the students and leaves. Cemal comes up to Mehmet and pushes him with his hand, saying, "Who do you think you are, telling me to keep my voice down?"
Mehmet stands up and says, "Take your hand off me."
Cemal raises his fist and hits Mehmet, and Mehmet throws a punch back. Because of Mehmet's height of 1.85 and the advantage of his arms, Cemal retreats. Mehmet's large bone structure also damaged Cemal's face.
School ends at 3:00 p.m. after math class. As Mehmet leaves school, he is surrounded by 5-6 people. A short person who is a friend of Cemal's, and has no connection to the school, steps forward and threatens Mehmet. Mehmet's cousin, Yavuz Aldemir, is a murderer. Even his father's migration to the city of Adana years ago is related to this event. After Yavuz was released from prison, he stabbed two more people and was re-imprisoned. Mehmet was deeply affected by this issue, so he always avoided fights. It is unknown whether it was because Mehmet didn't speak up or because the person who came had other intentions, but they left without doing anything. Mehmet's pride was a little bruised. However, he never wants to fight and doesn't want to be someone who kills people for no reason or is killed for no reason. Maybe it's the fire of youth, but he always dreams of being a hero for his country and humanity, and if he dies, he wants to be a martyr for this cause. Perhaps because of the bad examples he has seen among his relatives and in the village, he always flinches and runs to separate people when he sees them fighting. He has a fear of stray dogs. He thinks that two people fighting are trying to bite each other like stray dogs. It's not that he looks down on struggling and fighting, but he glorifies fighting for a great cause and dying for it.
After walking for a while, the village minibus that passes on the road comes to a stop where he is standing.
Mehmet: Uncle Davut, how are you?
Davut: Mehmet, are you out of school? Let's go to the village, I was specifically looking at the side of the road because I knew you would be out at this hour.
Mehmet: Thanks, Uncle.
Davut Aldemir is Mehmet's oldest uncle. He was tortured for being involved in political events in the 1980s, which is why he has a constantly weak and gaunt build. After the country calmed down years later, Davut Aldemir also started working as a temporary worker at the Ministry of Forestry. Some years he only works for 6 months. With the help of the government that last reduced the number of days for retirement, he retired like many other people. Since Davut didn't want to be idle in the village, he bought a minibus and works as a passenger transporter between the village and the city. He has created a busy life for himself more out of boredom than to earn money. Mehmet's other uncle, Selahattin Aldemir, lives in Adana, where he went years ago due to a blood feud. Mehmet's aunt, Şefika Yıldırım, lives in the city of Istanbul.
Since the village and the city are close, they arrive at the village 20-30 minutes later. In the village, there are no close relatives left besides his Uncle Davut's house. The village is constantly experiencing migration. Mehmet doesn't have much information about his relatives who migrated, and since he lives in his own dream world, he doesn't show much interest in the village news. Although the people who remain in the village are distant relatives, people become more distant as generations pass. Mehmet's father sometimes gets upset about this and says that in the past, people in the village were more helpful and everyone looked out for each other. The "spirit of the age" that Mehmet saw in a book he read is perhaps a perfect fit for this situation. Every era has its own difficulties and its own opportunities.
Mehmet's house is two-storied and has a garden. At the back of the house, there is a barn for animals. The barn can accommodate 40-50 animals. This house and barn are inherited from his grandfather. Hasan Aldemir earns an income by selling animals during Eid al-Adha, but things haven't been going well for him in recent years. 10 years ago, he had an argument with someone from a neighboring village over a shared pasture they used for grazing their animals, and the person he argued with got angry and shot Hasan Aldemir's feet with his rifle. According to the doctor, there shouldn't be any shotgun pellets left in his legs, but his foot has gotten worse every year. Currently, they have only one cow in their barn, and it can only meet the house's needs for milk and butter. By using money saved from past years and by selling 2 fields inherited from his grandfather, they have been able to live as a family without too much hardship until now. Mother Hatice Aldemir is only 45 years old, but she looks completely worn out in these difficult geographical conditions. Hatice Aldemir continues to struggle through life by lighting the stove for 8 months, taking care of the animals in the barn, and on top of that, toiling for her husband and children. In a world where divorces are easy and no one puts up with anyone else's bad habits, Hatice Aldemir still stands strong like a hard rock. For Mehmet, his mother is his everything. His father, mother, and little sister are his only ties in this life. In previous years, villagers would ask his father about Mehmet, saying why he is so introverted. His father is not regretful that he may have protected his son too much and didn't allow him to go outside his sheltered home too often. Because life and people can sometimes turn into monsters.
For dinner, there is chicken and potato stew. Belkis gets up from her homework. She sidles up to her brother Mehmet and says, "Do you know what I learned today?"
Mehmet: What did you learn, sweetie?
Belkis: We live on a planet called Earth. There is a place called space, and there are a lot of planets there, and they all sparkle brightly.
Mehmet sees what looks like two starlight specks in Belkis's two pupils. He pinches her cheek and says, "You know more than me, sweetie."
Hasan sits down for dinner after performing the evening prayer. The family begins to eat their meal. The mother puts 2 chicken drumsticks and 2 potatoes on everyone's plate. After the father eats 1 chicken drumstick and 2 potatoes, he puts the remaining chicken drumstick on Belkis's plate. Saying he doesn't have much of an appetite, he goes out to the garden to smoke a cigarette. Hasan always rolls his own tobacco to save money, but he still smokes close to 2 packs a day. From the window, Mehmet sees his father smoking sadly in the garden and feels a pain in his heart. The mother is silently watching her children eat. Mehmet asks his mother why she isn't eating. His mother says she feels weak and has no appetite and places one of the two chicken drumsticks from the plate in front of her onto Mehmet's plate. Mehmet has a large build and a healthy appetite. Because the mother knows this, she specifically always asks her son if he is hungry and immediately prepares food. Although Mehmet is surprised that his mother doesn't eat but gives him food, he doesn't think much of it. But after a while, the mother gets up and goes to her room. Mehmet is surprised by his mother's action because his mother never leaves the table before they do. Everyone has finished their meal at the table, but the mother's plate, consisting of 1 chicken drumstick and 2 potatoes, is still there. Mehmet felt a strangeness in his heart for a moment; after all, he had never asked his mother and father whether they had eaten until today. His father and mother were always strong in his eyes. He goes to the door of her room and knocks, asking, "Mom, is something wrong, are you okay?"
Hatice: My son, I'm fine, my throat must be dry, can you bring me a glass of water?
Mehmet: I'll get it right away.
Mehmet, happy that his mother is okay, gets a glass of water from the kitchen and goes to his mother's room.
Mehmet: Mom, I brought your water.
Hatice turns slightly from where she is lying and extends her arm. Hatice's arm trembles slightly and then her arm and head suddenly drop down. Mehmet is about to hand her the water. For a moment, as he sees his mother's head fall back and her arm drop, his eyes widen and he freezes. He comes to his senses as the glass in his hand falls and shatters.
Mehmet: Mooooom!!