Mom frowns on son’s sudden asceticism
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 11, 2009 00:00
İZMİR - One mother was left furious yesterday after her son left a bag full of money, gold and land deeds in a taxi in Ankara, asking the driver to take it to the Treasury for distribution among the poor.
Mustafa Solak, who tried to give 40,000 Turkish liras to various state institutions with his wife, failed, and in the end resolved to leave it to a taxi driver to take it to the Treasury Department. Only when the taxi driver took it to the nearest police station did their travails make it onto the front pages of national newspapers.
The couple from the Aegean city of İzmir went to Ankara to donate their worldly possessions to the state so that it could be distributed among the poor. The couple first went to Parliament but could not find anyone who would accept it. Afterward, they went to the Çankaya Presidential Palace, the Office of the Chief of General Staff and lastly the Religious Affairs Directorate, each with the same result.
"We then went back to the hotel. We asked two delivery companies to take it to the Treasury. Both refused. Then we thought of leaving the bag in the cloakroom but the man working there ran after us and gave it back," he said.
Solak also said the official who took him to Parliament told them no one would accept it but his response was, "I will throw it into the garbage if necessary. This money will stay in Ankara."
He said the taxi driver had helped them when he told him to take the bag to the Treasury. "I did not count how much money was in the bag," said Solak, adding the only thing he cared about was the people. "I hope we set an example. The Treasury can distribute it. Let there be love and tolerance," he said. Solak also said he did not want the money kept at the depot but asked for it to be used. "I believe the state will use it wisely."
When asked if those around him supported him, he said: "Would they ever? Is there anyone who would support this? I am not angry with anyone. I do not want the money back. Let charity organizations leave the scene to the state. They should hand over all their assets to the state, which can distribute it equitably."
He went on to say: "Where are we? I truly do not know? I am not from here anyway. I am not from earth. I cannot be from here. We came from space to do something insane like this." He said everyone around them had described them as crazy. He also said he and his wife had submitted a letter to every place they had visited in Ankara, demanding a new system be established based on love and peace. He said he hoped to spread his message around the world. His wife of three years, Seher Solak, said she supported her husband wholeheartedly, noting that they would never step back from what they had done.
"When he told me what he intended to do, it felt right. I did not believe giving it all to a charitable organization would have worked. We believed the state could do better. I trust the state," she said. She said they were against inequality and that her conscience was clear.
Not bothered
Even though they have nothing left, she said she and her husband were not bothered. "There are people who support us. There are some who say they would help us if we need anything. A few people like that are enough even if we do not need anything," she said.
Mustafa Solak’s 65-year-old mother, Emine Solak, was not too welcoming of her son’s actions. She said her son was living off the inheritance left by his father, who had died eight years ago. She said she had learned of what her son had done through the media. "My son and his wife have lost their understanding of real life because they read too much of Mevlana and philosophy books. He has lost his mind. How can he hand over all that money and deeds, which I have a share in?"She said she had confronted her son about what he had done and his only response was, "I wanted to do it." He should have given the money to his two children in Germany rather than just handing it over to strangers, she said. "He has no mental illnesses. He may have done it because he has read too much. He has many books. I guess sensible people would not do what he has done. They told me not to interfere and that they had done it for peace. I am very angry," she said.
She said when she had asked her son how he would survive, his response was that mosques or his relatives would help him. "I will not. He didn’t ask me before handing over the money, she said.
The couple from the Aegean city of İzmir went to Ankara to donate their worldly possessions to the state so that it could be distributed among the poor. The couple first went to Parliament but could not find anyone who would accept it. Afterward, they went to the Çankaya Presidential Palace, the Office of the Chief of General Staff and lastly the Religious Affairs Directorate, each with the same result.
"We then went back to the hotel. We asked two delivery companies to take it to the Treasury. Both refused. Then we thought of leaving the bag in the cloakroom but the man working there ran after us and gave it back," he said.
Solak also said the official who took him to Parliament told them no one would accept it but his response was, "I will throw it into the garbage if necessary. This money will stay in Ankara."
He said the taxi driver had helped them when he told him to take the bag to the Treasury. "I did not count how much money was in the bag," said Solak, adding the only thing he cared about was the people. "I hope we set an example. The Treasury can distribute it. Let there be love and tolerance," he said. Solak also said he did not want the money kept at the depot but asked for it to be used. "I believe the state will use it wisely."
When asked if those around him supported him, he said: "Would they ever? Is there anyone who would support this? I am not angry with anyone. I do not want the money back. Let charity organizations leave the scene to the state. They should hand over all their assets to the state, which can distribute it equitably."
He went on to say: "Where are we? I truly do not know? I am not from here anyway. I am not from earth. I cannot be from here. We came from space to do something insane like this." He said everyone around them had described them as crazy. He also said he and his wife had submitted a letter to every place they had visited in Ankara, demanding a new system be established based on love and peace. He said he hoped to spread his message around the world. His wife of three years, Seher Solak, said she supported her husband wholeheartedly, noting that they would never step back from what they had done.
"When he told me what he intended to do, it felt right. I did not believe giving it all to a charitable organization would have worked. We believed the state could do better. I trust the state," she said. She said they were against inequality and that her conscience was clear.
Not bothered
Even though they have nothing left, she said she and her husband were not bothered. "There are people who support us. There are some who say they would help us if we need anything. A few people like that are enough even if we do not need anything," she said.
Mustafa Solak’s 65-year-old mother, Emine Solak, was not too welcoming of her son’s actions. She said her son was living off the inheritance left by his father, who had died eight years ago. She said she had learned of what her son had done through the media. "My son and his wife have lost their understanding of real life because they read too much of Mevlana and philosophy books. He has lost his mind. How can he hand over all that money and deeds, which I have a share in?"She said she had confronted her son about what he had done and his only response was, "I wanted to do it." He should have given the money to his two children in Germany rather than just handing it over to strangers, she said. "He has no mental illnesses. He may have done it because he has read too much. He has many books. I guess sensible people would not do what he has done. They told me not to interfere and that they had done it for peace. I am very angry," she said.
She said when she had asked her son how he would survive, his response was that mosques or his relatives would help him. "I will not. He didn’t ask me before handing over the money, she said.