23.06.2026 13:11
Mehmet Ali Enhas, who embarked on a migration journey to Europe with his family in 1988 and lost his son in the Alps during that journey, passed away at the age of 77. The tragedy he experienced inspired the Oscar-winning 1991 film 'Journey of Hope.' Enhas, after receiving treatment in Germany, was buried in his hometown of Kahramanmaraş, alongside the son he lost years ago.
Mehmet Ali Enhas, who lived in the Halkaçayırı neighborhood of Pazarcık district in Kahramanmaraş, decided to migrate to Europe with his family in 1988. During the journey with his wife Zeynep Enhas and their children, the family passed through various countries trying to reach Switzerland, following routes used by human traffickers.
HIS STORY WON AN OSCAR
In the final part of the days-long arduous journey, while trying to cross the Alps, the family faced great tragedy. On the mountain pass affected by freezing cold, Enhas' 7-year-old son Seyit Enhas lost his life. The incident, which resulted in the little boy's death, was etched into memory as one of the most striking migration stories of the time. After the tragedy, the family returned to Turkey and buried Seyit Enhas in his birthplace. The experiences of Enhas and his family were later adapted into cinema.
The Swiss-Turkish co-production film "Journey of Hope," which portrays hopes and disappointments on the migration route, won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1991. While the film caused a great international impact, the story lived by Mehmet Ali Enhas reached millions of people.
MEHMET ALİ ENHAS PASSED AWAY
After his life in Turkey, Mehmet Ali Enhas went back to Europe and lived in Germany for many years, passing away at the age of 77 in the hospital where he was being treated. His body was brought from Germany to Kahramanmaraş, and Enhas was laid to rest in the family cemetery where his son Seyit Enhas, whom he lost in 1988, was buried, following a funeral prayer at the Halkaçayırı neighborhood cemetery in Pazarcık district.