13.03.2026 17:52
The last words of historian Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, who passed away at the age of 79 in the hospital where he was treated, were touching before he went into surgery. Ortaylı was seen saying, "You are crossing a long corridor; a path leading to anesthetists for heavy or light surgeries, whatever happens... It is always loaded with two deep possibilities."
The great plane tree who made history beloved in Turkey, Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, passed away at the age of 79. The last words of the esteemed historian, who had been struggling with health issues for a while, before entering surgery drew attention.
"YOU ARE PASSING THIS ROAD WITH A DIFFERENT AWE"
In a post on his social media account, it was seen that Ortaylı used emotional expressions: "They are taking me to the operating room early in the morning; a gentleman speaking like the old Istanbul scribes, Mr. Bülent, says, 'this is a long road.' You are crossing a long corridor; a path leading to anesthetists for heavy or light surgeries, whatever happens... Always loaded with two deep possibilities. You are passing this road with a different awe.
The air is different, and the anesthetist Dr. Ergün Mendeş who greets me welcomes me first with the anesthesia of language and literature before the height of his science. Anesthetist nurses Dilşad Yavrutürk and Melikşah Kopya accompany Dr. Ergün, and I am grateful to them. I have never experienced anything like this. Inevitably, the medicine of ancient Egypt three thousand years ago comes to my mind; truly a science based on anatomy.
Turkish medicine is great; after what seems like a five-minute anesthesia treatment, I have no idea what happened in between, and pay attention, I am not in intensive care, I am in my room upstairs. The procedure performed is a serious surgery on the kidneys.
Our professors who deserve great thanks are Chief Physician Dr. Erdal M. Aksoy, Dr. Özgür Tezcan, Dr. Özgür Gözer, Dr. Devrim Öztemel, Dr. Mahir Topaloğlu, Dr. Lercan Aslan, Dr. Yakup Kordan, Dr. Mehmet Kanbay, Dr. Oğuzhan Deyneli, Dr. Ayşegül Ketenci, Dr. Ersin Köseoğlu, Dr. Barış Hasbal, Dr. Burçin Sağlam Kurt; supervisors Elif Gözcü, Mesut Ermiş, Büşra Köse, and Aysel Armuşen.
"THE PEAK OF MEDICINE IS IN TURKEY"
I understand this once again; three thousand years later, the peak of medicine is in Turkey. Hopefully, we do not waste it on the roads of Germany and America. In a way, God helped us in the foolishness of the European Union merging with India.
I have not been in a luxury hotel for about a week; but I am not counted in a hospital either. I am with the world's most distinguished healthcare personnel and the greatest physicians. Koç University Hospital is a real gain for Turkey and a clear indication of how advanced this country has come in medicine.
One of the greatest services that the Koç Foundation and dear Semahat Arsel have provided to the homeland is to establish this hospital and train a staff of this quality. We must learn to take ownership of this; otherwise, one day we will miss it greatly. Behind this institution is a two-century-old tradition, the discipline of military medicine, and the accumulation of pharmacy and surgery worldwide."