In the memory of Türkan Saylan
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 19, 2009 10:18
Even in her last public appearance, after she fully lost her hair and covered her head with a colorful scarf, Türkan Saylan, 74, did not hide the little girl inside while waving to the cameras despite her pain.
Her eyes, in particular, often looked mischievous, as if she was making plans to launch a new campaign in the name of a more contemporary Turkey Ğ even after dozens of them resulted in hundreds of thousands of educated girls, thousands of school buildings and dormitories, more than 30,000 scholarships, numerous publications, etc. If we were to summarize Saylan’s life with just one word, it would no doubt be "struggle."
As a medical doctor, she first engaged with struggle against leprosy in the late 1960s at a time when only few of her colleagues would work with leprosy, not only in Turkey but also in other countries.
That earned her an international reputation along with awards and merits.
Her second but most enduring fight was against illiteracy.
She established the Support for Contemporary Living Association, or ÇYDD, in 1989, which today has more than 20,000 members in nearly 100 branches throughout the country, focused on educating girls, mainly in the least developed regions of southeastern and eastern Anatolia.
Saving these girls from the hands of illiteracy and repressive mentality by introducing the elements of a contemporary life ...
This gave root to her third struggle.
Last month when police stormed the ÇYDD premises and Saylan’s home as part of an investigation into possible links the organization had with the alleged Ergenekon gang - claimed to be set up to overthrow the pro-Islamic government in 2003 and 2004, the whole nation once again witnessed her sagacity and her strength from her sickbed.
"The police even took my letter of love," she complained after the raid, which caused uproar in most parts of society.
She was so loyal to the power of a "civil society" that in the recent past she has distanced her and her association from anti-democratic organizations and demonstrations.
"We are against both to the coup d’tats and Shariah," she has said.
Her last fight was against cancer. Despite her doctors’ advise, she continued her efforts to raise awareness of the need of education for everyone through activities, concerts and press meetings.
As a symbol of contemporary life, she showed that she was the real winner in her lifelong struggle. Simply for one reason: she made Turkey win.
Like the rest of the nation, we, at the Daily News, are grateful for what she did for this country.
As a medical doctor, she first engaged with struggle against leprosy in the late 1960s at a time when only few of her colleagues would work with leprosy, not only in Turkey but also in other countries.
That earned her an international reputation along with awards and merits.
Her second but most enduring fight was against illiteracy.
She established the Support for Contemporary Living Association, or ÇYDD, in 1989, which today has more than 20,000 members in nearly 100 branches throughout the country, focused on educating girls, mainly in the least developed regions of southeastern and eastern Anatolia.
Saving these girls from the hands of illiteracy and repressive mentality by introducing the elements of a contemporary life ...
This gave root to her third struggle.
Last month when police stormed the ÇYDD premises and Saylan’s home as part of an investigation into possible links the organization had with the alleged Ergenekon gang - claimed to be set up to overthrow the pro-Islamic government in 2003 and 2004, the whole nation once again witnessed her sagacity and her strength from her sickbed.
"The police even took my letter of love," she complained after the raid, which caused uproar in most parts of society.
She was so loyal to the power of a "civil society" that in the recent past she has distanced her and her association from anti-democratic organizations and demonstrations.
"We are against both to the coup d’tats and Shariah," she has said.
Her last fight was against cancer. Despite her doctors’ advise, she continued her efforts to raise awareness of the need of education for everyone through activities, concerts and press meetings.
As a symbol of contemporary life, she showed that she was the real winner in her lifelong struggle. Simply for one reason: she made Turkey win.
Like the rest of the nation, we, at the Daily News, are grateful for what she did for this country.