30.10.2026 03:02
In the Ilgın district of Konya, 29 October Republic Day was celebrated with a ceremony at a school with 1 teacher and 1 student. Fatih Yalçınkaya, the only teacher at Belekler Martyr Hüseyin Topçu Primary School, and his 3rd grade student Hatice Gökmen were not left alone at the ceremony by their family and neighborhood residents. Yalçınkaya called out to his only student, 'You are not just a student of this country, you are the Republic itself.'
In Belekler Neighborhood, whose population has decreased every year due to migration, the school’s number of students dropped to 1 this year. The teacher and student celebrated the 103rd anniversary of the Republic with a ceremony held in the school garden.
NUMBER OF STUDENTS DROPPED TO 1 THIS YEAR At Belekler Martyr Hüseyin Topçu Primary School in Belekler Neighborhood of Ilgın district, education continues with only one teacher and one student. In the neighborhood, which had town status before 2014, the number of students at the school also decreased every year as the population declined, and it fell to 1 this year. Teacher Fatih Yalçınkaya and 3rd-grade student Hatice Gökmen celebrated the 103rd anniversary of the Republic with a ceremony held at the school.
YOU ARE THE REPUBLIC ITSELF Teacher Fatih Yalçınkaya, who spoke at the ceremony, said:
“All across our country, in huge squares and in schools where thousands of students gather, there is enormous enthusiasm. But I want you to know that this holiday, which we are celebrating one-on-one in our small school, is much more meaningful and much more special than the enthusiasm in those great squares. When Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaimed the Republic, he imagined exactly this day—that is, you and me. When he said ‘The Republic is especially the guardian of those who have no one,’ he was talking about a single child’s right to education and bright future in the farthest corner of the country. That is exactly what the Republic is. Today you may be the only student at this school. But never forget, you are not just a student of this country—you are the Republic itself. Today we may be two people here, but behind us are the history, love, and strength of an entire nation. With the light of education we light in this school, we will keep the values of our Republic alive forever.”
HE BECAME BOTH MY TEACHER AND MY FRIEND Hatice Gökmen, the school’s only student, said she sometimes feels lonely but that her teacher keeps her company. Gökmen said, “Being on my own makes me feel a little sad. But I spend time with my teacher like friends. We play games together. Last year I had a friend, but she moved on to middle school and I was left alone. It is sad not to have a friend at school, but it is a joy to have my teacher. He became both my friend and my teacher. We prepared for the ceremony for 3 days. I got a little excited, but then it passed. I thank my family and the neighborhood residents very much for not leaving me alone.”
HER MOTHER: WE WERE VERY HAPPY Her mother, Melek Gökmen, stating that it was pleasing that her daughter was not left without a teacher, said, “May God preserve our state. Although my daughter is the only student, we have a teacher. We are happy. Her teacher takes care of everything. We also attended the Republic celebration together with my daughter. We also worked together while she memorized the poem she would recite. We were very happy.”
HER GRANDFATHER: OUR STATE ASSIGNED A TEACHER TO A SINGLE STUDENT Her grandfather, Süreyya Gökmen, explaining that his granddaughter felt lonely at first but got used to it over time, said, “Hatice is the only student at this school. May God preserve our state. Even though she is the only student, it provided us with a teacher. I bring Hatice to school every day. Because she was the only student, she felt lonely at first, but then she got used to it. We love our teacher very much; he takes an interest. Today we celebrated the Republic and had a beautiful day.”
VILLAGE HEADMAN: OUR VILLAGE HAS SEEN A LOT OF MIGRATION Village headman Nevzat Gökmen, noting that no young population remains in the neighborhood, said, “As our village, as is known, has seen a lot of migration, no younger generation remains, and our village was left with a single student. Even though there is only one student, may God preserve our state for giving us this opportunity. Happy Republic Day.”