Selcuk University Faculty of Science and 1071 Vefa Student Community organized a conference called “We Remember the Setting Suns for a Crescent”. Retired Senior Colonel Erhan Altunok attended the conference as a speaker.

Making the opening speech of the conference held at Sultan Alparslan Cultural Center, 1071 Vefa Student Community Academic Advisor Assoc. Dr. Tuncer Acar said, “The 1071 Vefa Student Community was established to remind our students of the price paid for these lands we have acquired, to enable them to do selfless work and to strengthen their belonging to these lands.”

gerçekleştirilen bu toplantı da bu sorumluluğun bir tezahürüdür.” ifadelerini kullandı.  

"WE WILL LIVE THE MEMORY OF OUR MARTYRS FOREVER"

Dean of the Faculty of Science Prof. Dr. Semahat Küçükkolbaşı said, “Words are not enough to express the greatness of the sacrifices made by our martyrs and veterans for us, for our country, and the price they paid. We will keep the memories of our martyrs alive forever. It is our duty to do this. Our Martyr Families! If we live independently and freely in our country today, we have obligations and responsibilities towards you. This meeting held today is a manifestation of this responsibility.”

“WE DON'T LEAVE OUR HOMELAND”

Retired Senior Colonel Erhan Altunok, who attended the conference as a speaker, explained the greatness of martyrdom. In the conference where emotional moments were also experienced, Colonel Altunok shared his stories by commemorating the heroism in the national struggle, our national struggle martyrs and our recent martyrs. Altunok said, “We do not have a second homeland on which we can go and take shelter in our difficult times. We don't need it either. We are not like anyone else. We will not leave our homeland. We die, but we die in that country. We do not run away from our homeland. We will not leave our homeland under any circumstances. We have a homeland, its name is the Republic of Turkey. We do not have a second flag under which we can cool off. We have  glorious flag, its name is the Turkish flag.”

unutmamalıyız.” dedi.  

“WE SHOULD BE WORTHY OF OUR MARTYRS”

Erhan Altunok said, “The ones who gifted this country to us years ago, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, his heroic comrades in the army, those who have a grave or not today, fought for us, they entrusted this country to us. We know who they are. We will not forget. Nations that forget their heroes cannot produce new heroes. If you want to see a hero, look at your mother who waits until the morning when you are sick. The real hero is your father who works until the evening. He is a teacher who makes every effort for his students. Let's applaud those blessed mothers and fathers of martyrs who kiss the bed of their son, who is a true hero, every morning. If we are to fall in love with the country, we will fall in love to love forever. People never stop dreaming. But the brave men in Çanakkale gave up their dreams. They did not return to their home. They could not find their loved ones. We must be worthy of our martyrs. We must not forget the heroes.”

“IT DOES NOT BE SUITABLE FOR US TO REFUGE IN EXCUSES”

Providing important advice to young people, Altunok said, “No one else will write the manual of your life, but you. You have to climb to the dominant point of your life. You have to be challenged. There is no blessing without a burden. Success can only be achieved by chance without effort. It won't be permanent either. If you can improve your perspectives, you can improve yourself. When you make a diagnosis about yourself, it will be much quicker to complete your deficiencies. You can overcome the obstacles in front of you one by one. Improve yourself, it doesn't suit us to take refuge in excuses. We are in a circle of fire. We are not in a position to stretch our feet and fall into complacency in this geography. We will work hard.”

At the end of the conference, retired Senior Colonel Erhan Altunok and the families of martyrs who participated in the program were presented with flowers.