Famous Turkish Author Visits TAC
Ahmet Ümit, author of many best-selling books, visited TAC for a talk with students on April 18, 2017. His messages to students and teachers were very special and thought-provoking.
Students and teachers listened to Ümit with inspiration as he talked about the failure of Turks to turn their country’s bridging of the East and the West into an advantage, beyond a geographical one, for many centuries, expressing his concern for this failure. He explained that Turks are multicultural by their ethnic nature, linking this with the importance of multi-culturality in today’s world. He talked about the cultural values which define men, stressing the value of morals and honesty as the powers which combine people. Ahmet Ümit said “The same way that an apple tree has to render apples, men have to do good, unconditionally”, reminding that we should not lose hope despite all setbacks, and the true recipe to become a “global citizen” is to love people without any discrimination.
As TAC students listened to his words, and the specific points he raised, they also questioned them in their minds. Ümit shared his literary journey while writing “Patasana” and “Bab-ı Esrar”, which are included in the guided reading list of the Turkish Literature department, advising students to take ownership of the rich cultural values and the colors of Anatolia.
Explaining to TAC students the causes of inspiration in the books of world-famous authors like Dostoyevsky and Shakespare, extending these to the joy of reading. At the end of his talk, which has turned into a highly inspiring combination of deep knowledge in history and literature, he advised all to seek success and happiness, without losing hope and good intentions. His closing sentence seemed to sum it up: “Those who run in the dark are quicker to fall down”.
TAC Principal Ms. Günseli Yüksel thanked Ahmet Ümit when presenting a recognition plaque as a memory of this special visit. TAC Activity Coordinator Gülay Damar also thanked him, presenting him a bag of sovernirs.
In closing, Ahmet Ümit wrote a note on TAC’s Memory Book, following which he kindly accepted every single copy of his books, brought by many students, teachers and staff, for signing his autograph.