For years, Aziz Nesin was discussed in this country on the basis of his atheism. As if a person's whole life could fit into a single label... As if what he wrote, what he lived, what he did for this society was not that important...
This approach made the rest of Aziz Nesin's life invisible. Aziz Nesin's life was squeezed into an “identity polemic”. However, to understand Aziz Nesin, one must look elsewhere: Not what he believed or did not believe... but how he lived and what he did.
Aziz Nesin was not a writer who defended socialism only in writing. He did not target the individual in his writings; he targeted the system that made the individual that way. He criticized the understanding of poverty as a personal flaw.
Because of his harsh criticism of bureaucracy, politics and nepotism, he was repeatedly put on trial, detained and imprisoned. Nevertheless, he did not retreat. Because for him, being an intellectual meant not only speaking out but also risking to pay the price.
He did not leave his criticism in words.
Founded in 1972, the Nesin Foundation is a permanent structure created to meet the housing and educational needs of poor and orphaned children. The foundation works without any religious or political orientation. Aziz Nesin gave a significant portion of his writing income to this foundation; he did not live a life of luxury. This was a consciously chosen way of life.
When we think of success today, we often think of fancy narratives. However, success here is about children who can hold on to life. Süleyman Cihangiroğlu, who came to the foundation at the age of 12 from Şırnak, studied Fine Arts and is now the executive director of the foundation, is one such example. Another example is Ulaş Karadağ, who graduated from the Mathematics Department of Istanbul University under the auspices of the foundation and completed his pilot training with a flight scholarship. These examples show that Aziz Nesin left not just an idea, but a living institution.
The consistency in Aziz Nesin's life is most visible in his daily choices. He had a heart condition. It is known that he had difficulty climbing the hill on the way to his house. Despite this, it is said that he preferred not to use a taxi.
And here, the story told by his son Ali Nesin leaves one with a lump in one's throat. His reasoning is very simple:
“I'll buy notebooks and pencils for the children with that money.”
Aziz Nesin also had a harsh tongue. In fact, at one point he said “60 percent of the Turkish people are stupid’, which was debated for years. But that sentence was not an insult to the people; it was his anger at those who surrendered their minds out of fear, propaganda and habit.
Aziz Nesin was an atheist; he did not hide it. He lived his own stance, he did not impose it on anyone; he did not turn this topic into a fight over identity. He demonstrated his understanding of morality not with words but with his actions. Morality is often not a matter of identity; it is a measure of behavior.
By this measure, this is what is seen in the life of Aziz Nesin:
He did not save his earnings for himself.
He stood on the side of the weak.
He did not turn it into a show.
He established morality through action.
Therefore, the issue is not what Aziz Nesin believes or does not believe.
It is about what it brings to society.
My Aziz... For years they discussed you with a label, but you responded with your life. You chose not to hoard but to share, not to remain silent but to pay the price. To commemorate you today is not to debate a belief; it is to look at that rare consistency between words and life.
My Aziz... So many people in this country spoke with the claim of piety; you responded with a notebook and a pen. With respect and gratitude.