August 19th, 2025

Over the past few days, I’ve spent quite a bit of time working on my website. I’ve optimised the blog by reducing the resolution of the images so that the site loads more quickly. At the same time, with the help of my technical support in India, I’ve prepared the page dedicated to my motorbike trips, which should be online very soon.

A little tip for browsing: if you go to the blog page and would like to read the older posts, simply scroll down several times and the content will load gradually. For the curious, the very first entry, dated 16 April 2023, is still available!

Beyond these digital updates, I’ve also been spending more time in my garden. Normally it’s Deniz who takes care of it far more than I do, but as he is currently on holiday with his family in Turkish Kurdistan – in Dersim to be precise – I’ve had to step in a bit more than usual. When he returns, a big change awaits him: he’ll be moving to Olten to begin his studies as a registered nurse (ES).

Since his arrival in Switzerland, I’ve had the chance to accompany him on his path of integration. He and his family have often invited me to discover their homeland. Until now, my health has made me hesitant to embark on such a journey. But this time, knowing that his studies will probably mean fewer opportunities to visit his family in future, I decided to take the plunge. Deniz doesn’t know it yet, this trip will be a surprise! I’ve organised everything with his sister Alev. She speaks only Kurdish and Turkish, but thanks to translation tools, we’ve managed to communicate without difficulty.

My journey will begin on Wednesday afternoon with a Turkish Airlines flight from Zurich to Istanbul, followed by a connection to Elazig, where I’ll land at about 10:50 p.m. From there, a bus will take me to Dersim, around two hours’ drive away.

I must admit that, with my orthosis, I was a little worried about flying due to the cramped legroom. That’s why I chose scheduled flights with Turkish Airlines, which offer more comfort and the option of choosing a seat, rather than squeezing in like a sardine on a budget airline.

Of course, Deniz’s family would have liked to host me in their home. But as they have only just moved into their new flat and are still in the middle of settling in, I felt it would be more considerate to book a room in the village’s only hotel. This way I’ll also have a bit of privacy and avoid imposing myself on them.

Dersim (today Tunceli – see the Wikipedia article) carries a tragic history. In 1937, during the repression led by the Turkish government against the Kurds, an uprising broke out in the region. It was brutally crushed, leading to the deaths of several thousand people.

This tragedy also affected Deniz’s family: some of his relatives were victims of this repression, simply because of their origins. It’s also worth remembering that many Kurds in the region belong to the Alevi faith, which often intensified their marginalisation and suffering.

All in all, this promises to be a wonderful surprise for Deniz, and I’m already looking forward to meeting his family and discovering, for a few days, this region I’ve heard so much about.

More to come… in my next blog!