The Path to Life in Turkey
Aigerim was born and spent her childhood in Bishkek, while her parents, Ilyas and Meerim, are originally from Karakol, located in the Issyk-Kul region. She also has a 13-year-old sister.
She first visited Turkey in 2015 when she came to Van for two months. After that, she moved to Istanbul and got a job at a hotel reception.
She and her husband have traveled to many corners of Turkey, but they have not yet traveled abroad. In the future, they plan to travel to other countries. Currently, Aigerim is fully focused on raising her children and managing the household, which, according to her, is quite challenging. Sometimes she thinks that working outside the home might be less exhausting. Nevertheless, the couple is satisfied with their life: her husband works hard for the family, and two years ago they bought their own house, which was a significant event in their lives. Van, where they currently live, is different from Istanbul and Antalya in its way of life. When Aigerim first came here, she promised herself she would not return, but fate had other plans.
This city has many women who observe religious customs, including prayers and wearing hijabs. Van is known for its respect for traditions and cultural values: elders are honored, family ties are strong, and relationships between siblings are very close, she shares.
The Story of Meeting Her Husband
Aigerim shared how she met her future husband and married him:
“We met in the only large shopping center in the city. My husband often visited it for gym workouts, and I came just to have a snack with chocolate. At that time, I didn't know Turkish very well, and when he asked for my phone number, I refused. Later, he got it from my friends and messaged me. I couldn't have imagined then that we would get married. However, when I moved to Istanbul, our relationship became stronger.
During our first meeting, he said, ‘You will be my wife,’ but I didn’t pay much attention to it. He introduced me to his family and friends. Sometimes he would come from his city just to wait for me after work. I noticed that he always keeps his promises.
When his family decided to marry him off to another girl, he refused and left home. He moved to Istanbul, and we decided to get married. A month later, his family accepted our feelings and invited us to the wedding.
I learned that Kurds prefer to marry girls of their nationality, but now I feel like a daughter in this family. My in-laws are very good people, and they often say they are happy that their son found me,” she shared.
A Funny Incident from the Early Days of Marriage
Aigerim recalled a humorous moment:
“When I had just gotten married, my mother-in-law, like me, spoke Turkish poorly. One day she asked me to bring something from the pantry, and after searching all around, I returned with the answer that there was nothing there, although I just didn’t know what exactly she meant. This happened several times.
One day I told my husband that I didn’t understand what mom was asking for, and he explained it to her. She laughed and said, ‘Daughter, I thought you had poor eyesight.’ Since then, she brings everything herself and no longer asks me,” she recounted.
- The Van Kyrgyz are descendants of those who migrated from Afghanistan (Pamir) and preserved their traditions. Their estimated population is about 4,000. Although some have moved to other cities in Turkey, most still live in Van province.
In 2018, a native of Kyrgyzstan, Razak uulu Dastan, who became a Doctor of Historical Sciences in Izmir, shared information about the resettlement of the Van Kyrgyz.
He noted that in 1978, ethnic Kyrgyz living in Afghanistan moved to Pakistan, and in 1982, the Turkish government resettled them across its territory.
“In 1987, the village of Great Pamir was built to create conditions for the compact living of the Kyrgyz population. Initially, about 300 families lived there, but over time their number increased, and they began to settle in cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Van. An infrastructure was built in the Yeni Faklı municipality for the Van Kyrgyz, but many refused to move, and now only 10 families live there. The municipality holds a summer festival every year, which attracts residents from nearby areas. Since the festival takes place near the settlement of ethnic Kyrgyz, there is a need to present their culture and traditions. At the invitation of Moshall Guven Jumabay uulu, students from Kyrgyzstan attended this festival, where girls played the komuz and performed national dances, while I recited a passage from the epic ‘Manas.’ Despite their knowledge of yurts and national cuisine, many Kyrgyz are not familiar with traditional melodies and dances,” he said.
Before heading to Turkey, Dastan studied for a master's degree at the I. Arabaev Kyrgyz State University in the specialty of "history," and his dissertation was dedicated to the Van and Pamir Kyrgyz.
According to him, about 3,000 people live in the village of Great Pamir, with around 300 households. Most residents engage in livestock farming, as there are no other employment opportunities. They raise small and large cattle, as well as horses. “Animals are not taken out to pasture due to a lack of land. Kumys is not prepared. Currently, it is haymaking season. They do not know how to engage in crop production. They were allocated 2.5 hectares of irrigated land, but they do not know how to cultivate it. However, one of the locals built a greenhouse and successfully grows cucumbers and tomatoes. He also plants potatoes, beans, and peppers on agricultural land. The village has a security force of 200 people who protect it from terrorist threats. They are paid between 25,000 and 30,000 soms a month. Women manage the household. One of our compatriots opened a workshop for sewing national clothing and producing weapons, where 7-8 girls work. This year, a yurt is planned to be set up for receiving tourists,” added D. Razak uulu.
