Atyrau Kazakh-Turk High Schools celebrates its 20th anniversary


Date posted: September 20, 2013

Ayhan Özcimbit

It was exactly 20 years ago on August 25th in 1993 when Mr. Suleyman, Ali and I arrived in the city Atyrau -formerly known as Guryev- located off the Caspian Sea. The provincial education department official, Ms. Jayla greeted us with flowers and then we moved in an apartment in the neighborhood Avangart. Ferhat, and Nurullah joined us later on and we began the academic year together with our local colleagues, the deceased Siguat Weizov and Ms. Gulbarsin.

Kazakhstan was a recent republic back then. It had been less than two years since it gained its independence. Soviet ruble was still in use and a Lenin statue was still standing outside the provincial government building.

We weren’t able to find everything we needed. We missed both clean tab and bottled water, which wasn’t even available. We would therefore boil and then cool down the water to drink it after filtering its sediments. We would to stay and experience extremely difficult times together.

We were rushing to learn Kazakh and Russian. The best part of those difficult times was that we strengthened our friendship. We very much loved our Kazakh students. They had a shining eyed-enthusiasm for learning. I told them: “You can be the leaders of Kazakhstan in the future if you can speak Kazakh, Russian, English and Turkish and study particularly petroleum engineering.” My former student Tanat Kuangaliev would remind me my words at the school’s 15th anniversary in 2008. Tanat has a very good job and happy life today.

I was greatly happy to have been invited to the 20th anniversary of Atyrau Kazakh-Turk High School, as one of its first teachers. Our faithful students covered all the transportation and arranged everything. We met with some of our old friends at Ataturk Airport and boarded the plane in excitement on August 30th, just like we did 20 years ago. Many of our former students were there to greet us on arrival, which the other passengers watched in astonishment. Our students took us to Dostik teaching center’s dorm next to the school by their luxurious cars.

I was moved to see Nurullah Ciftci, whom I hadn’t seen for 18 years, and -my once roommate- martyr Yasin’s father, Sinan Calkim.

Everyone was there except for the movie Selam’s inspiration Yasin Calkim, whom we lost to the Ural River on August 10th in 1994. But his father Sinan Calkim was with us. He told us something that we hadn’t known before. He told that he came to Alma Ata in his dream he saw before his son’s death. He further said that the places he saw in his dream were in fact the places he had been to in Alma Ata later, which made us surrender to the reality of death and fate.

We had a picnic by the Ural River together with a great number of alumni and current students.

We also attended the school’s inaugural ceremony. As the first teachers at Atyrau Kazakh-Turk High School, each of us was presented a plaque. Afterwards, we sang the Kazakh national anthem in unison.

Next, we e took a boat trip on Ural River, just like we did in 1995. We could witness the scenery and the progress Atyrau had made since. Yasin’s father Sinan Calkim was with us too. I watched him and couldn’t help crying. He had sent his son to Kazakhstan. But his son died when he was trying to save his student’s life. It was touching to photograph the Ural and Sinan in the same frame. The movie “Selam” could have been a better one if Yasin’s full biography was filmed. Indeed, he was living in the hearts as we kept remembering him and had his memories with us.

The mother of the student Nursultan Yerkariev -whose life Yasin had saved- Balziba Yeskariev invited us to her house. We had the famous Kazakh dish “bes parmak”. The fish caught by the trap that took Yasin from us was served too.

It was as if we were living the days in 1993. Balziba’s husband Imran had passed away. He would get us angry by reading from books against our Prophet Muhammad but we wouldn’t respond out of respect.

We spent our last night playing football on the school’s pitch for two and a half hours. I had no idea how the time passed or where we got that energy from. We were feeling exhausted even when we took the plane in the morning.

We were back in Turkey taking with lovely memories with us. It was as if we relived the days 20 years ago. But Yasin’s father Sinan Calkim was with us instead, on behalf of his son.

We could realize how fast the 20 years flied away over the last five days. I asked myself: “Would you go to Kazakhstan again if you had the chance?” Yes, I would go without a second thought.

I love Kazakhstan and Atyrau so much. Great that we have Atyrau, great that we have Kazakhstan!

Greetings and lots of love to my Kazakh students and brothers reading this piece.

Source: HizmetMovement.Com , September 19, 2013


Related News

International Festival of Language and Culture

The International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC) promotes research, learning and information exchanges in support of peace, friendship, understanding, inclusion and diversity. Founded in 2003 with 17 countries participating, the IFLC has grown to include 145 countries with more than 2,000 participants in 2015.

Water well for 10 thousand Pakistani with the money from cattle milk

A philanthropist woman from Kocaeli (a province in northwest Turkey), Siyade Yilmaz, has financed a water well, in memory of her father, at the service of 10 thousand in Daraban town of Tehsil Kulachi in Dera Ismail Khan District in Pakistan. In her statements, Yilmaz said they had been previously able to go to hajj […]

Turkish FM Babacan visits Turkish high school in Tajikistan

CEMİL KARTAL, DUSHANBE Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday visited the Hacı Kemal Tajik High School, established by Turkish entrepreneurs in Tajikistan.During the visit, Şelale Education Company Manager Mesut Ata briefed Babacan about Turkish schools operating in the country. He said the Şelale Education Company was established in 1992 and currently runs seven schools, one language […]

Secular Pakistanis resist Turkey’s ‘authoritarian’ demands

Turkey has asked Pakistan to crack down on institutions run by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara believes was behind the failed coup against President Erdogan. But many Pakistanis do not want to follow along.

Bangladesh’s Turkish school student becomes first in world math exam

Mostafa, who was up against nine million students from 110 nations, became first in Edexcel IGCSE exam. Mostafa is a 10th grade student from Bangladesh’s International Hope Turkish School and he received his award from Bangladesh’s London ambassador.

High competition for Fezalar Institution in North Iraq

The competition is high for students who are looking to attend the Fezalar Educational Institution in northern Iraq. 7,250 students have applied for the entrance exam, however, only 650 seats are available for new students. The institution was founded nearly 14 years ago in Turkiye. Since then, it has branched out to five countries, including […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

The Gulen Movement is not a cult or terrorist group

Kimse Yok Mu extends helping hand to Haitian orphans

Pak-Turk schools hold graduates moot

Members of US Congress withstand intense pressure over press freedom letter

60-year old man covers 309 km in 17 days to protest son’s arrest on coup charges

Turkey’s purges continue a year after failed coup

4th International Panel for Sharing Coexistence Experience in Korea

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News