Hello Sir/Madam,

I still remember the phone call I received from the EGET Foundation, and I wanted to begin by repeating what I said to Ms. Özlem there.

“This system they have established is a miracle for a society based on pure consumption. It’s magnificent that we, the youth, have started a cycle within ourselves with empathy that postpones selfishness. Without any ulterior motive, with the logic of ‘student understands student,’ who knows how many of my elders, who received scholarships to study in the past, will support the education of my friends with the scholarship I will provide in the future!”

My name is Hakan. But I don’t just represent Hakan.

It is thought that all belief systems begin by associating fate with the name of humanity.

My story began this way too.

On December 6, 1996, in Denizli, in the Sevindik area, a baby, believed to be only a few weeks old, was found in a garbage dump. A woman who heard the crying called the police at dawn, saving the baby’s life. Tragically, the baby, whose identity was unknown, never had any family or blood relatives. The politicians of Denizli at the time found a solution by placing him in the Denizli Orphanage under the name Hakan and the surname Can.

...

People only ever wondered about the beginning of my story. About my family, whom I didn't know, and the reasons for my abandonment. Over time, tired of lying, I asked them, and they fell silent.

"How can a person find the courage to abandon a baby to death?"

My concern wasn't why they abandoned me, but whether I possessed that courage.

My name isn't just Hakan; it represents the hundreds, thousands of brothers and sisters I grew up with.

I was also Şeyma Süleyman Ali.

A difficult beginning doesn't just bring you misfortune; it teaches you how special goodness is.

Life has shown me that what I have achieved and will achieve is not solely mine.

And that I am not alone.

With my sincerest wishes and respects,