30.10.2026 00:25
Bingöl-born shepherd İlhan Orak (72), who became a phenomenon with his words "They don't know me, mine knows me" that were reflected on TRT's camera in 2008, quit livestock farming due to his age. Orak, who spends the winter with his daughter in Istanbul and the summer in Hazarşah village in Solhan, said, "I miss the old days a lot, but I've gotten old."
72-year-old İlhan Orak, known for the footage shot when he was working as a shepherd in Hazarşah village of Solhan district in Bingöl, is once again leaving the same smile on faces after 18 years.
In the footage shot by a TRT crew in 2008, Orak attracted attention with his sincere manner and the sounds he made while calling his animals, and he quickly became a phenomenon after the footage was shared on social media.
Orak's call to the sheep, which has also been imitated on theater stages, has not been forgotten even after 18 years.
Orak, a father of five who no longer does animal husbandry due to his advancing age, spends the winter at his daughter's home in Istanbul and the summer months in his village.
Orak, who loves the village where he was born and raised and loves animals, continues to welcome his guests just as on the first day, with his smiling face, pleasant conversation, the black skullcap he never takes off, and his suit.
Orak, who was etched in memories with footage in which, after failing to attract the attention of the animals he called from the pasture, he says, 'These don't know me; mine knows me,' reunited with the Anadolu Agency (AA) team that interviewed him 7 years ago.
Going over to his neighbor's sheep to reminisce about his old shepherding days, Orak experienced nostalgia when the animals he called did not come to him, saying, 'It's not coming; this one isn't mine either.'
I MISS THE OLD DAYS VERY MUCH
Orak said that when he heard the TRT crew had come to their village in 2008, he ran over to them.
Explaining that when their owner or shepherd calls, the animals recognize the voice and go to them, Orak said, 'I go toward other animals, and they run away from me.'
Stating that he has now given up animal husbandry, Orak said, 'I miss the old days very much, but I have grown old. Otherwise, I would be a herd owner again. Everything is beautiful in its time. Now I cannot walk comfortably.'
EVERYONE LOVES ME
İlhan Orak said, 'Thankfully, we did not say anything wrong in the interview I gave then. Wherever I go, my door is open. Everyone loves me. I am still very pleased that my video is shown. I am very pleased with the attention shown to me. Many people come to visit me.'
I LOVE MY VILLAGE, MY LAND
Explaining that he deals with garden work in his daily life, Orak used the following expressions: 'Since I have grown old, I cannot deal with anything else anymore. I love my village. Because my children are in Istanbul, I only leave here in winter. I love my land.'