Fifteens

My dear brother, do you know? If we are able to walk freely and peacefully upon this land today, know that we can do so thanks to our sacred martyrs… Especially in the War of Independence, especially in the War of Liberation, especially on July 15, especially against the traitors who took up arms against the nation and fled to the mountains… Many of those children who stood tall like monuments and gave their lives against those who betrayed the homeland and the nation were your age, and perhaps even younger than you. Before they could enjoy their childhood or understand what it meant to be a man, they sacrificed their tiny bodies against the enemy so that you could live comfortably and peacefully on this land and finish your education. Folk songs and elegies were sung in their honor, calling them the “Fifteen-Year-Olds.” Only fifteen? They were eight, eleven, fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five years old… Ahmet, Mehmet, Habib, Ayşe, Kınalı Ali, Ezineli Yahya Çavuş, Halil İbrahim, Abdullah Tayyip Olçok, Eren Bülbül, and so many more… Yes, my brother: You too are a child of such a heroic and sacred nation, a brother to those who sacrificed themselves for the homeland… Know them well and understand the value of this land… Know that the “RESURRECTION” of this sacred nation, which has begun to shine once again on the world stage, is now taking place. As young torches of our civilization’s light, which will soon shine brightly once more, your place and importance in this blessed movement are immense…