The Mathematics of Life Conversations (Part 2): The Bandırma Travellers, The Strategy of the Right Path

The road is there for everyone.

And everyone has a direction.

In today's world, although the road may seem to be merely a means of reaching a destination, individuals who are unhappy with the outcome often miss the meaning and purpose hidden in the journey itself.

In my opinion, the most painful problem of our century is

routes without a destination.

Yet every true journey has a route. Drawing a route is not about determining a direction; it is about building meaning.

Setting aside our individual journeys, the real issue in societies is ‘which path to take’ and who draws the route.

Designing a route is an art.

And every era has its own route.

19 May 1919

In 1919, Atatürk's journey to Samsun, united with the people in pursuit of an independent Turkey, marked the first steps towards national liberation and became a turning point that shaped the country's destiny.

We discussed this journey with Önay Yılmaz.

Önay Yılmaz is the author of the book Bandırma Yolcuları (The Passengers of Bandırma). He has written about this journey in great detail.

Analysing history accurately is important. Conveying this history in a way that makes it felt is even more important.

Until the end of the book, I felt as if I were on that ship.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

ŞENER: How did the idea for Bandırma Yolcuları come about? Why did you want to tell this story?

Önay YILMAZ: In 2007, while working at the Milliyet newspaper, we wanted to make a difference for 19 May. We thought about what to do and decided to prepare a newspaper supplement and tell the stories of the people who boarded the Bandırma steamship on 19 May 1919 and embarked on that historic journey. We thought we would meet with their families and have them share what they knew about their fathers, grandfathers, and relatives, as well as their memories. Then we quickly got to work. Of course, this was a lengthy process that required a lot of research. We found most of the families. We met with them, conducted interviews, collected documents and photographs, and finally prepared a May 19th supplement for the Milliyet newspaper. It received a lot of attention. It was a historical and prestigious supplement for the newspaper. Then I wanted to turn this work into a book. So, the book is partly a true historical journey and partly a fictional narrative. As for why I wanted to tell this story, it is because it is an important turning point in our history. The Bandırma voyage was the spark that ignited the flame of liberation...

ŞENER: The importance of the Bandırma steamship for our country is well known. Which aspect of this historical event did you want to highlight?

Önay YILMAZ: I wanted to tell the story of this historical journey, which had not been sufficiently explored, in more detail through a fictional work. I tried to tell the stories of those who initiated the liberation, their journeys, and how they began this voyage. This voyage, in particular, had not been well-told. This was a shortcoming. I believe this voyage, considered the most important beginning of liberation, should be better addressed and told in the future. It should also be reflected in films and TV series, but these must be high-quality productions.

ŞENER: What was the most challenging aspect of the writing process? You mention many individuals who contributed to this journey that changed the destiny of Turkey. Could you briefly describe this process?

Önay YILMAZ: Writing history is not an easy task. Writing history based on testimonies and memories may not give us the whole truth, but it is important in terms of bringing us closer to the truth. Unfortunately, there are always shortcomings and mistakes. But those who take up the subject after you can fill in the gaps with new documents and findings. I tried to remain as faithful to the facts as possible. Many people contributed. They are the children, grandchildren, and first-degree relatives of those who participated in this historical journey. They shared their information, documents, and photographs with us. First, we found these people one by one, then we convinced them. We brought them together. We got them to give us information, documents, and other materials they had. Then we compiled and organised all of this and turned it into a text. In short, it was not an easy process. But thanks to the race against time and practicality that journalism demands, we managed to pull it together quickly. When it came to putting the book together, my job was much easier. Because I had all the material, everything was ready.

ŞENER: Which scene was the most emotionally intense for you while writing?

Önay YILMAZ: The entire writing process, all the scenes, were emotional. The moment the decision was made, the meetings at the house in Şişli before the journey, boarding the ferry, the journey towards salvation on that small ferry struggling with the waves, etc. There are so many scenes, each one as valuable as the next… Of course, what affected me the most was gathering the children and grandchildren of the historical figures from that journey at the Galata pier where the journey began and hearing those memories from their own mouths.

ŞENER: How do historical novels contribute to today's society?

Önay YILMAZ: Historical novels with documentary qualities make the past a little easier and more exciting to read. It is much more enjoyable than learning history from boring books. This writing technique does not bore the reader. Because it makes reading more desirable. In today's world, it is not easy to compete with visual media. People prefer to look rather than read, and the number of readers is decreasing day by day. To prevent this, we need to develop book writing techniques. There are efforts being made. You know that audiobooks have been introduced. We need to develop new techniques like this. In today's fast-paced world, people are very impatient. They don't want to sit down and read a book for hours. It seems to me that they feel like they are missing out on something and put off reading books. However, by not reading books, they are missing out on much more, but they are not aware of it. Reading books is an important activity that makes people think, teaches them to question, and, in short, develops them as individuals.

ŞENER: Is it possible to remain impartial when dealing with a historical topic? How do you strike this balance?

Önay YILMAZ: It is, of course, important to remain impartial in the face of facts. Because if you hide the facts, one day someone will come along and show you the facts in all their nakedness. Throughout history, the winners have always looked at the facts from their own perspective. The history we read is the history of the winners. Unfortunately, the losers couldn't write history. I wish the losers could write history too. Writing history shouldn't be exclusive to the winners. They shouldn't be the only ones to direct and shape history.

Empathy is very important. For example, Vahdettin is portrayed to us as a traitor. But maybe he didn't deliberately act as a traitor. But the results that emerged showed him to be a traitor. Perhaps he lacked the personality to engage in such a struggle. Perhaps he thought he could save his country by cooperating. But his failure to fight, his choice of surrender, and his cowardly mentality ultimately led to his hasty escape and the end of an era. He was probably a poor man who sat on the throne of the Ottoman Empire during its weakest period, having lost his faith in salvation. He asked the British for help. The British extended a helping hand to us in history, but of course for their own interests, not because they loved or respected us. In fact, at this final stage, their aim was no longer to help but to tear the sick man apart and completely destroy him. They had already come to believe that nothing could be gained from the Ottoman Empire. But in the end, a determined and faithful man emerged, overturned all the balances, and succeeded in rewriting history. He brought freedom and complete independence. He freed his people from slavery. This man's name was Mustafa Kemal.

I try to remain as impartial as possible, but when recounting the years of the national struggle, I do not feel it is wrong to favour the righteous side, that is, our side. Because the national struggle was truly different from the wars that had been fought until then. It was truly a war of liberation. A war for freedom and independence against imperialism.

ŞENER: How did you structure the narrative to help readers gain historical awareness?

Önay YILMAZ: I used a different technique in the structure. I created two journeys. The first is the actual historical journey, and the second is a kind of historical tour journey that takes place today, from Istanbul to Samsun by steamship on 18-19 May. While the reader embarks on the real historical journey in the book, they also embark on the tour journey of today, which narrates that same history. In the present-day journey, which follows the same route, there is a history professor serving as a guide who explains the historical journey to the travellers.

ŞENER: Considering Turkey's current strategic position, what do you think is the most important lesson our youth can learn from this historical period?

Önay YILMAZ: Young people must know that they have a very important history of struggle and must never forget it. This struggle must be told and taught to every generation. Every young person has the right to know and learn how a sick nation rose up and fought. They must understand what freedom and independence mean. They must grasp what it means to be a proud nation. They must internalise every stage of how this was achieved. It is very important for our young people to learn about our national struggle. There are great lessons to be learned from the struggle that brought independence and freedom to a nation. I consider it very important for the young people of a country with such an important history to know these things and prepare their future accordingly. Turkey is in a strategic position, and its young people need to be much more aware and well-educated. A country can only shape its future if it has a good youth.

ŞENER: You have been writing detective novels for a long time. Do you have any plans to write a historical novel in the future?

Önay YILMAZ: Writing detective novels is undoubtedly relaxing and enjoyable for me. But historical novels have their own charm, of course. As I said, writing historical novels is not an easy task. But if I find sufficient material and feel the energy within me, I would always want to write historical novels. Because shedding light on history and illuminating the past is very important for a writer. I have a project in mind for a historical novel, but we'll see what time brings.