Erkan Kiraz Alikahya-Izmit, Turkey Biography of Erkan Kiraz

It was 3:04 in the early hours of August 17, 1999, when the tremor hit his city. It was devastating! Erkan, his wife Hanife, and their two young daughters, ages five and two, survived. The people living in the affected cities of Izmit, Sakarya, Duzce, and Istanbul, in the Marmara Region of western Turkey were in deep sleep when it happened. Under the extreme heat of this terrible August, most people were wearing only pants or were completely naked. In an instant, the daily life of peace and prosperity was changed into a time of despair. The apartment block of eight floors where the family lived was destroyed. As a result, they and others like them lived in the streets and in open areas for months. Then, they moved to a tent town, where they stayed for more months. They waited in a town of prefabricated houses on the nearby plains and hills while permanent mass housing was completed. The earthquake and its effects were very traumatizing on the Turkish people of the area.

Erkan was born in Derince, Izmit-Kocaeli City, Turkey. Izmit is an industrial city in today’s Turkey. However, its history goes back 3,000 years through Thracian times, Bithynian Kingdom, Roman Empire, and Ottoman Empire. In ancient times, the city was called Nicomedia, and was the capital city of the Eastern Roman Empire. The name was derived from King Nicomed of the Bithynian Kingdom. Through the years, the name Nicomedia was transformed into today’s Izmit.

Erkan began his education at Cumhuriyet Primary School and finalized it at Pirireis Primary School of Derince Town in Izmit City. After seven years, he graduated from Izmit High School for Imams and Preachers. Then, he entered the Graduation Final Examinations of the Derince High School, Izmit City.

He had to work during the day and study at night in the midst of everyday ideological conflicts among students having left, right, socialist, and communist ideologies. This brought about daily street violence and murderous clashes.

His first language is Turkish. However, he has a working knowledge of English, German, and French. Erkan would like to mention three persons whom he honours for what they have done for him in helping him to learn other languages. Naci Arici, his Arabic teacher, provided him with much advice in his learning of French and German. Mr. Kemal provided much assistance in improving his English. Muhammed Aslam Zahit, from Karachi, Pakistan, with much patience, taught him much about English writing and grammar through his many letters.

Erkan served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Turkish army during 1979-1980. He started as Commander 2nd Lieutenant Officer Candidate Trainee at Egridir Isparta City. He continued with the same designation at Tuzla Istanbul. His next assignment was as Infantry 2nd Lieutenant Officer at Istanbul, and then was reassigned as Artillery English Translator 2nd Lieutenant Officer in Istanbul, and finally at the Joint Turkish-American Nuclear Batallion Detachment at Corlu, Tekirdag City.

His principal occupation is that of an import-export specialist in Turkey. He has also been a marketing expert, an advertisement collection expert, and an English translator—also in Turkey.

When he graduated from Higher School of Marketing of Kocaeli, there was no opportunity to use his new skills. However, he did not sit back and do nothing. He set targets for himself by which he could most easily attain his career in the shortest time. He was successful, but he is amazed now with how he was able to accomplish his goal.

He feels that his greatest accomplishment has been in building his life from scratch on his own without any outside help. He gives much credit for his success in his current career of Import-Export Specialist at TMMT [Toyota Manufacturing Turkey] for more than fourteen years to his reading and his learning attitudes.

The areas where he would like to have been more successful are in regard to his documentary photography and his travel essays writing. Given his positive learning attitudes and his willingness to face challenges, he will be able to fulfill his desire to do well in these areas.

Travel is an activity which he enjoys. A backpacking trip from Bulgaria, Older Yugoslavia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, and France is among his most memorable. Using that method of travel, one learns about a country’s geography and its customs in a much different way than by motoring or by using public transit. Another one was a trip in which he flew to Poland. His most memorable cities on these two trips were Vaduz, Liechtenstein; Krakow and Warsaw, Poland.

Besides traveling, Erkan has numerous other interests. He enjoys reading books on economics and politics. He likes to learn new languages, having a command of three as previously mentioned. He is not bothered by challenges in adopting changes in daily life. Among those are the computer, the Internet, and the digital world. If all these were not enough, he takes documentary pictures, writes travel essays, and keeps memoirs. He certainly is accumulating information which, some day, could be a book or several books for his descendants and for the general public.

His philosophy of life is that one should work without expectation of any instant return and use its profit return for one’s long lifespan infinitely. He has exemplified this in his life when he started with nothing and, over the years, has built up his successful career.

Through documentary pictures and travel essays, he has met many people, either in person or by correspondence. He appreciates his friends, whether they be national or international. He mentions some of the prominent ones. They include the following: Savas Karakas; Mesrob II Mutafyan, Holy Patriarch of Turkish Armenians; Barthelemeos, Holy Patriarch of Turkish Phanar Orthodox Patriarchy; Professor Dr. Atilla Cetin from University of Sakarya; Dr. Yusuf Cam, from Commerce University of Istanbul; Professor Dr. Hikmet Ozdemir, from Armenian Research Center for Turkish History Society; and Duane Duff and Patrick Little, from Canada.

Testimonial by L.R. Duane Duf:
I asked Erkan to tell a little about the Muslim faith in his country. Islam means peace in essence. For him, the best and adoptable practice of Islam was carried out only by the Ottoman Empire by allowing every race, nationality, and religion within its territories. To obtain a better understanding of the essence of this faith, he suggests that one should examine the Ottoman Empire’s Social and Religious Life History.

I wanted a Turkish translation of one of the pages in the section on railroad museums on our website. Therefore, I wrote to a Turkish museum and asked if someone would do this for me. The translation was undertaken by Erkan. I have noticed that visitors to that part of our website check that page. Later, someone wrote to me in Turkish about railways. I forwarded the letter to Erkan, who translated it for me into English. Then, he translated my response back into Turkish. I appreciated it very much.

I have seen many pictures that Erkan has taken. He has a wide range of subjects, but I particularly like his nature pictures. He seems to enjoy this pastime very much.

Ottoman Empire Maps in Ottomani Turkish-Osmanlıca Osmanlı Devleti Haritaları [[عسمانليجه شاهانه عسمانای خريطهلاری] Osmanlıca Şahane-i Osmani Haritaları: Ottoman Empire Maps in Ottomani Turkish, Osmanlıca Osmanlı Devleti Haritaları]: [اطانه ولايتی] Adana Vilayeti, Adana Province, [اناطولی شاهانه] Anadolu Vilayetleri ya da Osmanlı Anadolu’su, The Provinces of Otoman Anatolia, [انقره ولايتی] Ankara Vilayeti, Ankara Province, [آسۧياعسمانای] Asya-i Osmani ya da Osmanlı Asya’sı, Provinces of Otoman Asia, [روم ایلی شاهانه] Avrupa-i Osmani, Provinces of Otoman Europe, [آينيد ولايتی] Aydın Vilayeti, Aydin Province, [بعداد ولايتی] Bağdat Vilayeti, Baghda Province, Iraq, [بصرا ولايتی] Basra Vilayeti, Basra Province, Iraq, [بتليس ولايتی] Bitlis Vilayeti, Bitlis Province, [بوسنه ولايتی] Bosna Vilayeti, Bosnia Province, [بلغاراستان ايالتی] Bulgaristan Eyaleti, Bulgarian Principality, [جزيرت العرب] Cezire-tül Arap & Hicaz, Provşnces of Nile, Paletsine & Hijaz Area, [دياربكر ولايتی] Diyarbakır Vilayeti, Diyarbakir Province, [ادرنه ولايتی] Edirne Vilayeti, Edirne Province, [جزاير بحر سفید ولايتی] Cezayir-i Bahri Sefid ya da Ege Adaları Vilayeti, Province of Aegean Islands, [كرید ولايتی] Girit Vilayeti, Creta Province, [حلب ولايتی] Halep Vilayeti, Aleppo Province, Syria, [حداونكار ولايتی] Hüdavendigar Vilayeti ya da Bursa Vilayeti, Bursa Province [اشقودره ولايتی] İşkodra Vilayeti, Schkoder Province, Albania, [استانبول ولايتی, چتلجه و ازميد سانجاقلری] İstanbul Vilayeti, Çatalca ve İzmit Sancakları, İstanbul Province and Sanjacks of Tchataldja & Izmit, [قصطمونی ولايتی] Kastamonu Vilayeti, Kastamonu Province, [قبریس آطهسی] Kıbrıs Adası, The Island of Cyprus, [قونیه ولايتی] Konya Vilayeti, Konya Province, [قوصووه ولايتي] Kosova Vilayeti, Kosovo Province, [بیروت ولايتی] Lübnan & Beyrut Vilayeti, The Provinces of Lebanon & Beirut, [مناستر ولايتی] Manastır Vilayeti, Bitola Province, Macadonia, [آفريقي عسمانای] Mısır ya da Trablus Garb Vilayeti ya da Afrika-i Osmani, Provinces of Otoman Africa, [معمورة العزیز ولايتی] Mamüre-tül Aziz Vilayeti ya da Elazığ Vilayeti, Elazig Province, [موصل ولايتی] Musul Vilayeti, Mosul Province, Iraq, [روم ایلی شرقی ولايتی] Rumeli-i Şarkı Vilayeti ya da Trakya, Province of Western Trace, [سلانیك ولايتی] Selanik Vilayeti, Thessaloniki Province, Greece, [سيوس ولايتی] Sivas Vilayeti, Sivas Province, [سوريه و بیروت ولايتی] Suriye ve Beyrut Vilayeti, Province of Syria & Beirut, [آفريقي عسمانای; مصر ايالتی, بنغازیي سانجاغی, طرابلس غرب ولايتی, تونس ايالتی, جزاير] Trablus Garb Vilayeti, Tripolitania, Libya, [طربزون ولايتی] Trabzon Vilayeti, Trabzon Prvince, [وان ولايتی] Van Vilayeti, Van Province, [يانيه ولايتی] Yanya Vilayeti, Ionian Province, Greece, & [زور متصرفغلي] Zor Mutasarrıflığı, Deir ez Zor Province, Syria. [Thanks-Source: Ottoman Empire Maps in Ottomani Turkish; 28.07.2011, The Chronicles of Erkan Kiraz, Alikahya-Izmit, Kocaeli, Turkey]. Biography of Erkan Kiraz Autobiography, Background, Curriculum Vitae or C.V., CV, Profile, Resume, Résumé of Erkan Kiraz – Erkan Kiraz’ın Özgeçmişi, Profili ya da CV’si Ottoman Empire Maps in Ottomani Turkish Hidden Beauties Behind Names International – Adların Gersindeki Gizemler, Uluslararası Jewish Names-Surnames - Yahudi Adları-Soyadları Hidden Beauty of Turkish Language - Türkçe’nin Gizli Güzellikleri Erkan Kiraz's World-Erkan Kiraz’ın Sıradan Dünyası A Frenchman in The City of Izmit, Kocaeli-Turkey Erkan Kiraz's Documentarily Shot Pictures-Erkan Kiraz’ın Belgesel Amaçlı Görüntüleri

Türkçe: Umarım sıradan öykülerimi okurken ve belgesel görüntülerimi izlerken keyif ve zevk alırsınız.

Lingua Ottomani - Osmanlıca Türkçesi: آملم اودركی حكایات ناچیزانهلرم قرائت إیدر إیكن وصور تاریخمی تماشاء إیدر إیكن كیف صفاء إیچرو اولرصز.

Deutsch: Ich hoffe, Sie bekommen genießen Endlust Geschichten vorlesen und beobachten urkundlich aufgenommenen Bilder von mir.

El Arabi [العربية]: آمل أن تحصل علی قراءة القصص والتمتع بها والمتعة ومشاهدة الفلم الوتائقی بلدی التقاط الصور.

English: I hope you get enjoy and pleasure reading stories and watching documentarily shot pictures of me.

Ellenike [Ελληνική]: Ελπίζω να απολαύσετε και να πάρετε τις ιστορίες ανάγνωση ευχαρίστηση και βλέποντας ντοκιμαντέρ μου εικόνες που λαμβάνονται.

Farisi [فارسي]: من امیدوارمكه لذت ببرید داستان شما وتماشای فلم مستند من گرفته شده تصاویر.

Français: J'espère que vous aurez plaisir des histoires fin le plaisir de lire et regarder des photos prises documentarily de moi.

Ibrii-Ivrit [עברית]: אני מקווה שאתה מקבל ליהנות וקריאת סיפורים תענוג לצפות תיעודי שלי לקחת תמונות.

Italiano: Spero che si ottiene godere storie finiscono piacere leggere e guardare le foto documentariamente preso di me.

Latina: Lorem ipsum dolor meus et in ipso vigilantes litterarum accipiuntur frui et voluptates legendi historias imaginibus.