Those Who Left Their Mark in Iğdır: Cezmi Öztekin – Part 7

One of those who left their mark in Iğdır, though not originally from Iğdır, is Cezmi Öztekin. Cezmi Öztekin, originally from Bitlis, started working at the Iğdır Agricultural Equipment Directorate in the early 1950s. A friendship developed between him and Mecit Hun, who also worked at the Agricultural Equipment Directorate. Both left the Agricultural Equipment Directorate together and on May 16, 1953, they launched Iğdır's fourth newspaper, ŞARKIN DİLİ (The Language of the East). In later years, on January 21, 1955, Cezmi Öztekin was appointed General Manager of the Cotton Sales Cooperatives Union (PSKB), a position he held for two years. In the 1950s, PSKB was Iğdır's most important cooperative, or in a sense, a civil society organization.

The late Hacı Necati Öztekin, whom I interviewed to gather information about Cezmi Öztekin, tried to provide us with enlightening information about his family.

HACI NECATİ ÖZTEKİN RECOUNTS

My father, Şaban Vehbi Efendi, served as the Bitlis First Term Deputy in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which opened on April 23, 1920. I was born in Ankara in 1925 during these years when my family shuttled between Ankara and Bitlis. Since my birth registration was delayed by a few years, my birth date is recorded as 1927. To start primary school on time, an age assessment was made, and the information on my identity card was changed to 1925 to reflect the original date.

I completed primary and secondary school in Bitlis. In 1943, I went to Ankara for high school education. However, before finishing high school, I returned to Bitlis and applied for a telegraph operator position, my father's profession. After my 36-month military service between 1947-50, I returned to Bitlis again and this time served as a Divorce Clerk at the Provincial Directorate until 1952. Due to the post office rehiring its old employees, I was rehired as a telegraph specialist and continued this duty uninterrupted until 1954. In 1954, I ended my civil service career and ventured into trade. I entered the transportation business and took on the task of supplying wood to the Ağrı Division from the forests in the Norşin (Güroymak) district.

In 1957, I had the chance to get acquainted with Iğdır for the first time. After staying in Iğdır for 4-5 years, I returned to Bitlis. In 1965, with the support of Medet Serhat, I married the daughter of one of the Sheikhs of Bitlis. I have one son and one daughter from this marriage.

MY FATHER ŞABAN VEHBİ EFENDİ

My family is originally from Bitlis. Since my grandfather served as the mayor of Bitlis, my family had a long-standing political influence in the city center.

My father, Şaban Vehbi Efendi, born in 1888, worked as a telegraph specialist (telegraph operator) at the post office after Rüştiye (middle school). Since all state communications were carried out this way, the personality and ability of the person undertaking this duty were of special importance.

During the First World War, due to the gradual occupation of the Eastern provinces by the Russian army, my family left Bitlis and took refuge in Mardin. My father continued his duty as the Mardin Postmaster.

On April 23, 1920, my father was invited to the opening of the Grand National Assembly to represent Bitlis. Besides my father, Arif, Sadullah, and Ziya Bey served as Bitlis Deputies. My father's deputyship lasted until October 29, 1923. For this duty, my father was awarded the Medal of Independence and a rifle with the inscription "Presented to His Excellency Bitlis Deputy Şaban Vehbi Efendi in memory of victory" on its stock.

My father had two marriages. From his first marriage, four brothers, Azmi, Cezmi, Ziya, and I, were born.

MY BROTHER CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

Cezmi was born in Mardin in 1334 (1918). After graduating from Diyarbakır High School, he enrolled in Ankara Law Faculty. After attending for one year, he left the faculty due to marriage and started working as a civil servant in the Ministry of Commerce.

Cezmi was a very good football player. He played as a center forward in the main squad of Gençlerbirliği for several years. For a reason I don't know, Cezmi was interested in the Iğdır region. He moved to Iğdır and settled there, on the condition that he continued his duty at the Ministry of Commerce.

Together with Mecit Hun, he published the newspaper called Şarkın Dili, first in Iğdır (May 16, 1953) and then in Ağrı (until the end of 1953).

I can mention various possibilities regarding when Cezmi's acquaintance with Mecit Hun first began. In those years, merchants of Bitlis origin were heavily settled in Iğdır. They might have met through a mutual friend among them. On the other hand, Mecit Hun's father-in-law, Mehmet Efendi, was originally from Bitlis. This could also be a reason. But in my opinion, the main reason was that Cezmi served his reserve officer duty in Tuzluca, and an acquaintance from those years led to the beginning of this friendship. If we consider that both were high school graduates and had left Law Faculty, we can also say that there was an intellectual bond between them.

Cezmi was appointed General Manager of the Iğdır Cotton Agricultural Sales Cooperative Union through the initiative of Deputy Sırrı Atalay at the Ministry of Commerce. (January 1955) He served in this position for 3-4 years. However, due to opposing political initiatives, he was transferred as an auditor to the Giresun Hazelnut Sales Cooperative. (Following this, the manager of Iğdır Ziraat Bank temporarily assumed the General Manager position.)

Cezmi later held various positions within Çukobirlik for several years. Finally, he retired as the general manager of the Nevşehir Grape-Wine Agricultural Sales Cooperative. He passed away in Istanbul in 1996 from lung cancer.

Iğdır PTSK was organized as Iğdır Center and its affiliated sub-units. Members elected a manager among themselves.

During my years (1957-60), Eşref Kaya served as the central manager. However, the general manager was appointed by the Ministry of Commerce.

Cezmi once aspired to become a deputy. However, since families of sheikh origin like Kamran İnan and Muhiyettin Mutlu controlled and seized political power, Cezmi had no chance. (The "Mutlu" family residing in Norşin district also led an important madrasah. Most of the religious teachers in the villages were educated and received their diplomas from this madrasah.)

MY ACQUAINTANCE WITH IĞDIR

I first traveled to Iğdır in 1957 via Doğubayazıt with the intention of visiting Cezmi. At that time, this road had to cross the mountain pass called Çillê. This narrow and gloomy road, with its difficult ascents and descents, stretched and rose near Hüsrev Konyar's village. After a troublesome and fearful journey, when you reached the top of the mountain, you would feel as if the Sürmeli plain stretched out beneath your feet. Yerevan would appear faintly in the mists in the distance. The Iğdır plain, with its lush green beauty, seemed to soothe one's heart and soul.

During my years in Iğdır, my closest friend was Mehmet Hun. Mehmet was then in charge of weighing at PTSK. We would be together every day, go to Süphan Güneş's restaurant together, and chat until late hours. He had a cheerful and witty character. Years later, Mehmet Hun worked as a civil servant at the Agricultural Credit Cooperative in Norşin (Güroymak) district of Bitlis. He was responsible for providing credit to farmers.

ETHNIC AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF BİTLİS

The population in the city center of Bitlis has a unique identity. Until a century ago, this population, a mixture of Kurdish, Armenian, and Turkish, had merged for commercial reasons and, by using Turkish as a common language, had led to the emergence of a new supra-identity.

Bitlis is the city with the most proficient commercial culture in the Eastern Anatolia region. As a long-standing local tradition, Bitlis merchants have always surpassed their rivals in honesty, diligence, and loyalty to debt, which are the cornerstones of trade, wherever they went; by using neighboring provinces as a stepping stone, they established a commercial network extending all the way to Istanbul in solidarity with each other. Istanbul merchants always prioritized Bitlis merchants when delivering goods, and for this reason, being unrivaled, they quickly became wealthy.

OWNER OF DİL NEWSPAPER: MECİT HUN

Date: January 20, 1953 Issue: 96

ADVERTISEMENT

I have lost my identity card, which I obtained from the Bitlis population registry and which contains my military transactions. Since I will obtain a new one, it is announced that the old one is no longer valid. Cezmi Öztekin

ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER

Şarkın Dili newspaper is Iğdır's fifth and Mecit Hun's third newspaper. It holds the honor of being the first newspaper published in Iğdır using pedal technology. After 98 issues in Iğdır, the newspaper moved to the center of Ağrı. The September 6, 1953 issue of Şarkın Dili explains the reasons for this transfer as follows:

"The primary aim of our newspaper is to serve the East. (...) Iğdır, due to its geographical location, eliminated a large part of the possibilities for adequately serving the East, which was the main goal of our newspaper. Especially the difficulty of travel, which was clearly felt during the winter months, made it impossible to promptly identify and address the problems and needs of the Eastern Provinces and districts in a timely manner to be useful. On the other hand, although the decision during the establishment of our newspaper was essentially to be published in Karaköse, due to some incidents that occurred in the days following the arrival of the machinery and materials, it was forced to start operations in Iğdır. On the first day the state of necessity ended, we immediately left Iğdır to dedicate ourselves to the service of the country, working with all our might to compensate for the loss during the days when we were partially unable to serve the purpose, and to be worthy of the favor that beautiful Karaköse and our very esteemed readers did not withhold."

Hamza Mızrak and Pharmacist Cengiz Sümer, who wrote for DİL newspaper, continued to be part of the ŞARKIN DİLİ editorial team. The pen that gave ŞARKIN DİLİ newspaper its main weight was undoubtedly Cezmi Öztekin. Cezmi Öztekin, who would later become the General Manager of Iğdır PTSK Union, was remarkable for his seriousness and analytical ability. In addition, brothers Süleyman and Naci Kutlay also brought the region's problems to the columns with their strong and fluent writing. After changing hands several times, the newspaper ceased publication on January 1, 1954.

OWNER OF ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER: MECİT HUN

June 2, 1953 Year: 1 Issue: 18

WRITTEN BY: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

POLICE CONTINUE TO USE BATONS

In all civilized countries of the world, the police have served as an assistant in the application of laws to be applied to citizens who commit crimes. The police have instilled respect in citizens. A citizen may commit an act that requires police intervention. In this case, in almost all civilized countries, it is sufficient for the police to tell the offender that they need to go to the police station. The majority do not even see the need for police escort. This naturally happens in minor offenses. It has never been seen, and cannot be seen, anywhere in the world for a murderous person who kills, or a vagrant who makes a profession of theft, to act in this way. With a few exceptions, while police-citizen relations in all countries proceed at a very normal, understanding, and mutually trusting pace, we regret to see that in some regions, they have still not adequately improved. Iğdır is one of them. In Iğdır, for some reason, the police seem to believe that they can perform their duty with a baton.

OWNER OF ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER: MECİT HUN

June 8, 1953 Year: 1 Issue: 24

WRITTEN BY: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

IRREGULARITY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Individual initiatives related to society, including journalism, cannot succeed unless they receive support from their environment. In a place like Iğdır, where the number of educated newspaper readers does not exceed 100, it is impossible for a newspaper that risks tens of thousands of liras to sustain itself with a meager sale of 5 kuruş, just as it is impossible for it to be useful to society in the proper way.

Unless the newspaper is obliged to appear before its readers with useful topics, and the reader is obliged to support it as much as possible, the expected benefit cannot be achieved.

After "Şarkın Dili" entered publication, it unfortunately encountered an unjustified hostility and was even attempted to be deprived of its legal rights. The difficulties we faced regarding advertisements, despite the existing legal obligation, are evident.

Although the relevant ministry has ordered that cooperatives and companies whose judicial and commercial registrations have not been made to date fulfill these legal obligations, otherwise judicial proceedings will be initiated by the public prosecutor, we regret to observe that those who do not want advertisements to come to our newspaper neglect their duties solely with this consideration. How bitter it is that laws are even trampled upon to sabotage a newspaper that is published with the passion to serve the country and the society it belongs to.

Despite the notifications made on the day we started publication, both personally and through the district governorship, we are rightly saddened and convinced that we are facing hostility when we learn that many official institutions and departments apply to the Municipality for official announcements and that our municipality sees no harm in making these announcements through a crier (!).

On the other hand, we also observe that a strange monopolistic mentality has begun to dominate the province. In the meantime, we learned that an "advertising office" was established with the aim of distributing the advertisements coming to the province among the newspapers published in Kars, and that this method was approved by the provincial authorities.

Our newspaper has been published for 24 days. Two days ago, we applied to the provincial authorities and requested that our newspaper also be taken into consideration among the existing newspapers regarding official announcements. It is noteworthy that no news or results have come from the provincial authorities despite the passage of so much time. Let us immediately state, by the way, that we will not hesitate to take the necessary initiatives to benefit from the rights granted to us by law. The purpose of our newspaper can be clearly seen if the articles in its columns are analyzed. We have nothing hidden, and there is no reason for us to be deprived of official announcements.

Therefore, it would certainly be appropriate to request the sensitivity of the relevant authorized authorities on this matter.

OWNER OF ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER: MECİT HUN

June 16, 1953 Year: 1 Issue: 31

WRITTEN BY: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

IĞDIR DELEGATION?

Delegations went to Ankara, news came out... The engineer who would design the hydroelectric power plant in Cincavat was mobilized, the construction of the yarn factory was ensured to start within 1953, two motor pumps were purchased until the irrigation of the Iğdır Plain was definitively completed, a jeep was purchased, another electric motor was acquired...

Great results! Iğdır did a very appropriate thing by sending the said delegation. Things that would have been impossible to secure in months through correspondence were achieved in three to five days!

OWNER OF ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER: MECİT HUN

June 21, 1953 Year: 1 Issue: 36

WRITTEN BY: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

RUSSIAN AGREEMENT AND EASTERN TRADE

We read in the newspapers that our neighbor Russia has issued a note to end the existing hostilities between us, establish normal relations, and conclude a friendship and trade agreement, and that our government is preparing a response to this note.

I will not speculate on the form of the answer to be given to the note submitted by the Russians, nor on the political consequences that this answer will bring. Of course, the prominent figures authorized to write on this matter will do their duty.

The issue that occupies my mind is the commercial aspect. The region that has historically been the scene of our commercial activities with the Russians is Iğdır and Kars. Kars, with the agreement between the two governments, was for the import of goods from Russia to Turkey; Iğdır, due to its climate, land, and organization on the border, always constituted the center of gravity in commercial transactions, excluding large imports requiring a railway between us and Russia.

Eastern provinces such as Muş, Bitlis, Siirt, Van, Karaköse, Elazığ, Erzurum were Iğdır's hinterland. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry at that time had 6-7 times more staff than today and registered real estate worth tens of thousands in Malkara. These buildings belonging to the Chamber are now on the verge of ruin due to the passage of years. Iğdır at that time was an active center where hundreds of merchants made purchases and sales exceeding hundreds of thousands every day.

Today, we desire the friendship agreement expressed and desired by the Russians to be concluded positively, in terms of the development we hope for in the commercial situation of the East.

OWNER OF ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER: MECİT HUN/CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

December 12, 1953 Year 1 Issue: 176

June 8, 1953 Year: 1 Issue: 24

WRITTEN BY: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

Mr. Şeref Saraçoğlu! For the past three or five days, an ugly dispute has arisen between your newspaper (Yayla Newspaper) and ours. You should know and appreciate that when I wrote my articles titled "Attention, Ruling Party!", I did not target you personally or anyone else.

I found it right to point out the shortcomings of the ruling party, whose actions I sometimes praised, according to my own view. You are also aware that Bedri Münir Şefkatli had no connection with our newspaper when I started publishing these articles.

Since the day I started managing Şarkın Dili Newspaper as one of its owners and its Responsible Manager (September 22, 1953), no one has had the slightest influence on the content of the newspaper, and Mecit Hun's departure has not changed the situation. As long as you see my name as the Responsible Manager in our newspaper, neither Bedri Münir Şefkatli nor anyone else is authorized to interfere with a single sentence, or even a single word, of the articles. I believe that as a journalist, you will appreciate this point.

If there is information Bedri Münir Şefkatli knows about you, and information you know about Bedri Münir Şefkatli, and if the issue is to courageously reveal them, then this is a matter that directly concerns you.

I only want to reiterate this point: I have no boss because I am also an owner. I do not write articles under orders because I am the responsible manager, and Cezmi Öztekin, not Bedri Münir Şefkatli, is responsible for the content of the newspaper. With my respects.

OWNER OF ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN /MECİT HUN

December 25, 1953 Year: 1 Issue: 180

WRITTEN BY: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

HONOR OF REPRESENTATION

(...) One day, a Cevdet Kerim İncedayı comes out and says from the rostrum of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, "We cannot leave this country to the Hasso and Memo's"... Another day, a Kamil Boran rises again from the rostrum of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and sees no harm in addressing a deputy (Celâl Yardımcı) representing at least forty thousand Turks as "Yezidi," and all these unpleasant speeches are naturally learned by all nations of the world in the shortest possible time. (...)

OWNER OF ŞARKIN DİLİ NEWSPAPER: CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN /MECİT HUN

January 21, 1955

WRITTEN BY: MECİT HUN

INDEPENDENT MANAGER APPOINTED TO THE UNION

It is known that the Cotton Agricultural Sales Cooperatives, which were united in 1952, were managed by proxy by the managers of Ziraat Bank.

From a telegram we received yesterday, it was learned that an independent general manager was appointed to the Union, after three years of management by Ziraat Bank, which was decided in principle to be the auditing institution as the credit provider to the Union.

The appointment order for Cezmi Öztekin, who was reported to be appointed as General Manager, was communicated to the bank and the Union, and he departed from Ankara to start his new duty.

We wish his efforts to be beneficial for the cotton producers and Union partners and wish him success.

EKİNCİ NEWSPAPER

WRITTEN BY: EKİNCİ EDITORIAL TEAM February 26, 1957

GENERAL MANAGER OF IĞDIR COOPERATIVES IS LOOKING FOR DIESEL IN OUR CITY

Cezmi Öztekin, General Manager of Iğdır Cotton Cooperatives, came to our city hoping to find enough diesel to ensure the factory's operations continue as much as possible, and for this purpose, he began meeting with relevant parties.

Diesel is currently of vital importance for Iğdır producers. Issues such as the timely processing of 3 million kilograms of cotton, providing cotton seed for feed, which has become an important issue for animal owners during this severe winter season, and obtaining seed cotton until the new planting season, all depend on the continuous operation of the cotton factory, which in turn depends on diesel, thus the distress of the people of Iğdır has intensified. (...)

EKİNCİ NEWSPAPER

WRITTEN BY: CENGİZ EKİNCİ January 2, 1958

NECESSITY AND CEZMİ ÖZTEKİN

According to the news we received, Arpaçay District Governor Fikret Koçak was transferred to the Directorate of Legal Affairs due to necessity, and Cezmi Öztekin, General Manager of Iğdır Cotton Cooperatives, and Hamit Çiftlik, the acting auditor, were also dismissed from their positions due to necessity.

EKİNCİ NEWSPAPER

WRITTEN BY: CENGİZ EKİNCİ June 11, 1958

THEY WILL MAKE IĞDIR A PROVINCE (!)

About two months ago, a delegation from Iğdır collected money from the public and went to Ankara. The members of the delegation were among Iğdır's prominent Democrats (DP members) and were to make visits with the aim of making this district a province, presenting the district's desire to become a province to the relevant authorities.

Two months later, when our path led to Ankara, we saw some of the gentlemen included in the Iğdır delegation waiting in the capital. They had put aside making Iğdır a province and were engrossed in their own troubles.

While the Tezel brothers were working to acquire the Petrol Ofis agency, Feyzullah İnan was striving not to lose this agency, and on the other hand, he was becoming a partner in a knitwear factory.

Hacı Nağdali Parlar was after the DP District Presidency. Eşref Kaya was working to be appointed as the General Manager of Iğdır Cooperatives, a position vacated by Cezmi Öztekin; Enver Sever was trying to obtain a tractor allocation; Latif Polat was striving to collect his receivables from the Çiftlik constructions. Osman Ataman, according to what was said, had gone to visit his brother-in-law, who was among the 9 detained officers.

And these esteemed people from Iğdır had bothered to go to Ankara to make Iğdır a province...