It demonstrated many vivid and enthusiastic images. Mongolians facial features have great similarities with the Anatolian people. The relationship should not only derive from geography, but also blood and race. I saw such a bright and clear sky there for the first time. Unruly white clouds were scattered just a little above us like a shady spot.
Hasan Celal Guzel following the trip with a reporter's enthusiasm from the beginning told Erdogan on the way back: "I wanted to see two places during my life; one of them was Hedjaz and late [Turkish President] Turgut Ozal took me there and the other one was Mongolia that was the second land of our ancestors'. I have found the opportunity to visit these places through your invitation. God bless you."
Erdogan also talked about the plane's landing onto the Karakurum: "I had never landed on an agricultural field by plane during my whole life. If someone had told me before, I would reply, I'm sure you are joking. How can a plan land on a field?' We landed in a field. When I looked out of the window we were in a field, there was no runway." One has to travel from Ulan Batur to Karakurum in order to go to the Orhun Monuments.
Transportation from Karakurum to the region that is 45 kilometer away from the monuments is only possible via highway. This short bumpy road reminding one of a stormy sea takes at least one hour. The name of the region is familiar as well: Otuken. Turkey has undertaken the construction of the highway and work on it began the other day. It will be opened next week.
The Mongolian government is building the Karakurum that has a profound past and prepares to declare it as the new capital. There are no human settlements near the district where the monuments are situated. Stone monuments with the "Turks" on it for the first time are in the open field. It seems that the field had been a occupied by the Gokturks once upon a time.
Bilge Kagan's treasures and a temple were found during the excavations. The temple was covered with mud again. Turkey has underestimated the Orhun Monuments referenced in history books. Efforts may have begin years ago and the region might have been transformed into a museum of the Turkish world.
Mongolia is open towards any kind of project. Many prominent discoveries might be made by the excavations that could be held in that region because, there are clues of that. If people had moved long before, a suitable image of the Orhun Monuments would appear today. I was disappointed to see that.
There are only two unprotected stones of scriptures. Fortunately, the TIKA has developed special projects for the area during the last few years. A stone monument was taken from the area open for all kind of adverse condition and taken to a safe location. A copy of the monument will be exhibited in the open area and the original one will remain inside. The place will be turned into a museum in the future. TIKA has carried out efforts towards it.
The Turkish world and specifically the Turkish state adopts Turkish nationalism as a basic policy in during some periods of time. I had difficulty understanding this region, where Turks have their roots has been left underdeveloped so much. No one has taken care to restore these places. Monuments worth their weight in gold for the Turkish history were left to their dismal fate. I noticed that Hasan Celal Guzel felt similar emotions, he almost angrily said: "Should these areas be like that? Some efforts have been made but they are very insufficient. My only consolation will be if efforts pick up speed recently."
Signs in front of them also show there were Turks were not among those who discovered the monuments and decoded them. Almost all of them are Western names. How nice it would have be if there had been Turkish archaeologists among them! There should have been. I hope there will be signatures of Turkish archaeologists under new documents. The Council of Higher Education (YOK) administration should consider these…
A piece of literary text inscribed on the monument quotes from the renowned Turkish prince (beg) Bilge Kagan: "People of Turkish Oguz begs, hear it! The Turkish nation, unless the sky does not bed down to embrace and the earth is not penetrated from down, what can spoil your land is your morals!"
July 22, 2005
