Another Saviour

Often when considering where I belong I identify with being British first and foremost as someone who has been bought up in England, but being Turkish is my inheritance and of this I am proud.

As much as my involvement with politics goes there isn’t much to note; I don’t take an active interest in politics and loosely follow current news on this issue. 

The other day when a friend asked me to accompany her to a doctor’s visit I obliged. Sat with her in the waiting room we discussed current issues in our daily lives. As she filled me in on her recent holiday in Turkey we compared the countries and noted that we both preferred and enjoyed living in England. Her doctor called her in shortly after, once inside the surgery I immediately sensed that it would be an interesting visit.

The doctor was rushed in a flurry of activity and did not want any of his patients to wait too long, he warned that the visit would be brief as his next patient had serious spinal injuries and it was criminal to keep him waiting. As the consultation progressed he chatted away happily and having noted that we were not English and of a different ethnicity he asked where we came from. The conversation quickly progressed to his love of Turkey. He told us of his visits to Konya, to which we both admitted that we were ashamed not to have ever visited. He urged us to do so in the very near future. Konya is one of the most notable and beautiful cities of Turkey that has enriched its history.

After he expertly and correctly diagnosed my friend, then offered the relevant treatment, he apologised for the brevity of the visit and asked us not to take offense at being rushed. I piped up that he was such an intelligent man and it was a pleasure to have seen him at work. He asked when we would be visiting Turkey next and if we enjoyed doing so. Having mentioned that whilst I very much enjoyed my visits to Turkey was concerned about the current state of political affairs I told him that even though I wasn’t very well informed on the political state of affairs it still sometimes worried me to consider the future of Turkey.  

When the consultation was over he stood up and shook our hands, as he led us out of the door he said ‘girls, you are from a very blessed land! You should take pride that such a wonder of history has taken place on your motherland. In the 1300s Turkey was home to a very wise man Mevlana who bought peace and wisdom at a time when the land was in most need of it; in the 1500s Turkey had Suleiman the Magnificent who established order, politics and power in your land.  

Then not very many decades later you were privileged enough to have been sent Ataturk who gave you freedom and democracy.

In all times of need that blessed land has been sent a saviour to help that country filled with people who have goodness and faith in their hearts. Be confident that soon you will be sent another saviour once again to bring together unity and harmony.

You should believe that such a blessed land will always be protected and do well in every era. Now you two girls have a wonderful day.’ As my friend and I left his consultation room in awe of this intelligent and good person we were also restored with faith about the future of our country.  Indeed we were from a blessed land and we both agreed that a hopefully a saviour was on his way. Even whilst living thousands of miles away from my homeland; each day I live my life it is with the influence of my inheritance to influence my decisions.  

It fills me with such great pride that Turkey has been home to such a wondrous history. I have faith that it will all work out well and Turkey will fill the hearts of the world as the wondrous country that it is with so much to offer its neighbours and the rest of it. After all we are located in the heart of the world with such an excellent geographical location. It only makes sense that Turkey is the heart of it.