Dear Friends Participating the “Farewell Ceremony”,

We have gathered here for an early farewell.

Having the honour of sharing 18 years with him, I have thought a lot before preparing this speech, which of his features to mention. He had such a specific personality that it was difficult to tackle even some of his important aspects in one speech.

Let alone his social influence, there is a fact that everybody participating this meeting will easily accept: He had contributions representing progress in every person’s life here.

I guess his most distinguishing feature was his being a very rare type of person full of character. He was a very colourful man.

Ø      He would live whatever he lived fully, he would do whatever he did feeling deeply about it to the very end.

Ø      He was honest, straight forward, in his own words, he did not have any unnecessary artificial details.

Ø      He had faith in truth.

Ø      All his life he came up against flattery and in fact did not consider flatterers among his closest friends.

Ø      When he noticed his mistakes, he would not hesitate to openly point to them, to make self criticism.

Ø      His marked farsightedness, also as a result of his intelligence, would always make itself felt.

Ø      At the same time, he was very good hearted, softy softy.

Ø      He was a person productive in many spheres. He liked to produce and make live.

Some of his features overlapped with those he had listed for comrade  Mevlüt, that is why they were good friends:

Ø      He had loyalty.

Ø      He had discipline.

Ø      And he had an endless culture.

It is not easy to have one’s signature under such a lot of successes woven with a rich accumulation of knowledge in a short span of time as 56 years. Before he died, he used to say “I feel the happiness of having left behind an honoured lifetime”, he felt the comfort and honour of this. I also agree with and witness to this. To leave behind such a full and honourable life is not destined for everybody.

I shall not say ‘he is no longer with us’. As he also expressed in his last years by saying ‘even if I left, these ideas will leave a mark, will live’, he will be with us, he will lay his roots among us.  Even though a cold wind has taken away his physical body, he will always keep his special place in our hearts. This is such a special special and warm place that the deep sarrow caused by his early departure can only be carried by channelising it to a more positive and efficient production. I think any other way will not suit him.

We are proud of him and we will always be.

Farewell....

Sırma

Kromatorium

16 December 2001 - London