“… Even if we need travel books that will describe the conditions of the West, it is in our power to eliminate our need. We can also read these works in translation and get the information we want about Europe from any work we want. But from which work will we learn about Asia? We must admit that the continent we know least about is Asia, our homeland and origin. We know the most famous countries of this ancient world only by name. We know very little about the language, morals, and customs of the people who inhabited those diverse climates.
Mehmet Akif Ersoy
TURKESTAN CALLS Dr. Mehmet SILAY
We felt a millennia-long longing for our people, for the lands we were returning to see after perhaps a thousand years. They were all kindred spirits, brothers, and co-religionists. For days, we wandered around Anatolian towns and villages, as confidently and comfortably as if we were wandering around. The people of Central Asia were no different from the people of Anatolia. As we headed to the airport for our return, we felt a part of ourselves remaining in "Hazrat Turkestan."
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