'It Came This Way, It Will Not Go This Way': Challenging Despair Through Literature

The current administration is accused of deliberately fostering a climate of despair and helplessness, aiming to convince the public that "we are incapable of improvement" and that "things will always be this way." This strategy, the article argues, serves to plunge society into darkness, extinguish hope for change, and demoralize social opposition, echoing the melancholic refrain of Erkin Koray's song, "Böyle Gelmiş Böyle Gider" (It Came This Way, It Will Go This Way).

However, the article posits that societal opposition, grounded in self-belief and conviction, is actively seeking a future beyond despair and fear. This movement desires a transformation of the current system and is committed to fighting for it, offering a counter-narrative to the pervasive sense of resignation.

The piece draws parallels with the lifelong work of Aziz Nesin, a prominent Turkish writer and satirist. From the 1950s onwards, Nesin used his satirical stories to protest the political, economic, and cultural corruption plaguing Turkey. In the preface to his 1953 book, "Geriye Kalan" (What Remains), Nesin described his early literary career as an attempt to provoke those he saw as "presumptuous asses," likening himself to a child disturbing a beehive. He concluded that his writings, born from struggle, offered laughter distilled from tears, asserting that "it came this way, but it will not go this way, it cannot go this way, we will not let it go this way."

Further illustrating Nesin's persistent critique, the article quotes a poem dedicated to his mother, written in 1965. The poem poignantly details his mother's difficult life, early marriage, young motherhood, and premature death at 26, marked by poverty and lack of basic amenities. The poem concludes with a powerful declaration: "Mothers will no longer die without living... It came this way, but it will not go this way!" Nesin's extensive autobiographical work, "Böyle Gelmiş Böyle Gitmez" (It Came This Way, It Will Not Go This Way), spanning four volumes, is presented as his deliberate effort to provide a historical cross-section of Turkish society during his formative years, challenging the notion that the present state of affairs is unchangeable.