Autism… A Difference…

We are at the Zeynebim Farm in Göcek Taşbaşı. It is late afternoon, and the sun is about to set. Our employee, İhsan Ünlü, says, 'I'm leaving,' almost teasingly. His shift ended long ago. He needs to go home to the Sabunlu neighborhood. I blurted out, 'That won't work. The olives have blossomed fully. We need to apply the fruit-setting spray before it gets dark. Let's not leave it for tomorrow.' İhsan replied, 'I won't let you down. Let's apply the flower and fruit-setting spray before it gets dark. Come on, Mahmud, let's get to work.' 

Preparations for the flower and fruit-setting mixture began in 600 liters of water. It is applied at certain intervals from seed to harvest to ensure rapid and uniform germination, quick and strong development, and better, higher-quality produce in all plants. Even though Hamdi Gürbüz interrupted, saying, 'Professor, no one uses as much fertilizer and support as we do,' Mahmud Al Hasan and İhsan had already prepared the mixtures and started spraying the olive blossoms. Farming is a real craft. Especially in Turkey. Fertilizer is expensive, pesticides are expensive. And labor is the same. 

As we were nearing the end of the olive spraying, Attorney Tahsin Demirtaş, the Kuşadası/Aydın representative of the Turkey Promotion, Research, Democracy and Secular Formation Foundation (TÜLOV), asked on the other end of the phone, 'Professor, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel is coming to Kuşadası for Disability Week. Will you be coming?' I said, 'I know. The CHP is organizing an Autism Symposium in Kuşadası between May 15-16, 2025. They will also be opening the Nazik Bekmezci Autism Life and Support Center. I will be there on Friday, May 16.'

The United Nations has declared the dates between May 10-16 as Disability Week in 156 member countries.

Throughout Disability Week, the problems of the disabled, the prevention of disability, and many issues, primarily education for the disabled, are discussed! 

When I arrived at the Sealight Hotel in Kuşadası on Friday morning, May 16, the second day of the symposium had begun with a beautiful presentation by autistic children. The speakers explained the problems and solutions regarding the disabled in Turkey and the world, with a focus on autism.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a complex neurodevelopmental difference that is innate and noticed at an early age, in the first years of life. Neurons, or the brain, are among the most important organs or systems that continue their development after birth. If this difference is not noticed in the early period and the necessary precautions and special education are not applied, it becomes a huge burden for both the family and the country. As a society, we need to share this burden.

Have you ever seen an autistic family? 

I studied at the Ege University Faculty of Medicine between 1970 and 1976. Was autism ever discussed in those years? I don't recall. While it was seen in one out of every 10,000 people in the 1960s, today one in 30 people is born autistic. That is a huge figure. Given that our population is 86 million, you can calculate the rest. In 1960, when our population was 28 million, the number of autistic individuals was only 2,800; today, it is 2.8 million. A very large number. It is estimated that there are approximately 12 million disabled people in our country today. This means that one in every four disabled people is autistic. 

Now, looking at it from the perspective of Articles 2 and 60 of the Constitution; a social state governed by the rule of law means a state that is obligated to ensure true equality—that is, social justice and social balance—by protecting the weak against the strong. Are we able to do this? Where is it?!

Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu announced that there are now 6 centers in the province of Aydın, including the newly opened Autism Life and Support Center in Kuşadası. It is not enough, but it is a great achievement. Local governments have done what the state should have done. I applauded them sincerely and wholeheartedly. 

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks on behalf of my people to the Bekmezci family, who donated the 4-decare plot for the Kuşadası Autism Life and Support Center, and primarily to Kuşadası Mayor Ömer Günel and the Kuşadası Municipality team for bringing that center to fruition. 

Özgür Özel stated that the research commission report and action plan regarding autism, which was established in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) under the leadership of the previous term Kayseri Deputy Op. Dr. Çetin Arık, is waiting on the shelves of the Parliament archives and that nothing has been done to date. Although Tayyip Erdoğan declared 2025 the 'Year of the Family,' it is clear that it has passed as an empty year. 

Özgür Özel said, 'As the CHP, we renewed our own party charter between September 4-9, 2024. We added a clause to our amended charter. If a disabled individual is a candidate—that is, if they come and run for district administration—they can automatically enter the district or provincial administration. Or, if a disabled individual is a candidate for the Party Assembly, they are elected through the disability quota, allowing disabled people to reach certain positions. In the first Party Assembly we held after this charter change, one of our disabled friends entered our Party Assembly through the disability quota. Again, in accordance with the same charter, the CHP is required to nominate a severely disabled individual as the first candidate in an electoral district in the upcoming parliamentary elections. This will not just be one disabled person. But a severely disabled individual will be at the top of the list in one region. Beyond that, those who want to take part in our lists through disability quotas will be moved into the Parliament, municipal councils, and party assemblies. This is an important step. A small step, but an important one.'

Özgür Özel had previously announced that 'a Ministry of Disabled People will be established and one of our disabled citizens will become the Minister of Disabled People.' 

I celebrate the Disability Week of all disabled individuals and their families. As the band Moğollar says, 'Something must be done.' As a society, as those who govern, and even as a citizen, yes, we must do something.