Nüzhet Türker
I graduated from the Department of Food Engineering of the Middle East Technical University in 1987. I received my MSc and PhD degrees from the same department. I’m currently working as teaching staff in Mersin University since 1997. I have a 24 year old daughter. I was born and grown up in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Then, I moved to Mersin where I discovered the mountains which was a milestone in my life. Having written on the summit book of Medetsiz Mountain “Once more? Never ever!” I found myself on top of Ararat Mountain. A traveler must be on road and found myself in Kyrgyzstan where I realized my passion for cycling. Nowadays I set off to explore mountains with my bicycle pedaling at one time and accompanying my bicycle on foot the other times. Thereto, I’m very happy to be the old aunty amidst young students set their heart on cycling. To meet Gurkan Genc is to live, understand and love the other of different countries and cultures with his eyewitness. I translate, or better said try to translate as an amateur, his road memories and above all his feelings he encounter during this life experience to widespread the huge positive energy this man with iron horse is possessing.
Bon voyage dear Gurkan….
Sine Aras Akten
I’m a graduate of Ege University. I completed my internal medicine training and subspecialty in kidney sciences in the United States. After finishing my fellowship at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Albert Einstein University, I worked as a nephrologist and subspecialty clinic director at Woodhull Medical Center. Later, I served on the faculty in the Nephrology Department at Queens Hospital under the Mount Sinai system, and I continued as the Director of Nephrology at the New York Hotel Trade HHA. I’m currently providing care and treatment for patients in Brooklyn and Queens, primarily in chronic kidney disease and hypertension, and generally serving across New York City.
I’ve been involved in short film and public health campaign projects focused on documentaries and filmography. That’s how I met Gürkan. He was saying in the media that even a bicycle could leave a significant carbon footprint. I was surprised… And he shared many details and useful insights throughout his journey.
While I was studying in Harvard’s “Media and Medicine” program, focusing on holistic health and health journalism, one of the main reasons I chose to accompany Gürkan on his journey was how he used health and sports for public benefit, especially in the education of children. We both understood the value of youth and children as the next generation.
In my recent patient-journal-based book projects, the book he wrote with Mine Pöge for children, The Man with the Iron Horse, always excited me. It was the only book whose hero was real and alive. Its goal was to offer a different perspective to children.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, while I was on the front lines treating patients, the insights he shared from the road always mattered to me. When he published his patient-narrative travel log titled A Turkish Doctor’s Corona Diary, as the first in a hopeful story series based in New York, I realized just how important it is to support Gürkan Genç.
Because of my profession, monitoring and addressing health situations has become my mission. These days, as I’m focusing on Strategic Health Policies and Business Management, I aim to implement healthy society models through holistic systems.
It’s a particular honor for me that my goals and those of dear Gürkan Genç align on the path toward a healthy society. I continue to provide medical support throughout his journey and adventure. Gürkan is not an easy patient—his stubbornness is legendary…
I’m originally from İzmir, a mother of two, and at home, everyone eagerly follows his journey. He’s in our prayers…
Ferhat Yüksel
I am an independent journalist, collector, artist, former athlete, traveler, photographer, and someone who does everything with heart. I graduated from Bilkent University’s Faculty of Communication and Design, specializing in diplomacy, international relations, trade, and politics. Gürkan and I are childhood friends, having grown up together. Even as a child, Gürkan had a spirit of exploration. Gürkan, his brother Gürhan, my brother Fatih, and I explored And Street and its surroundings together. These exploration operations were entirely Gürkan’s idea, and he always wanted to go further each time. With small steps, we discovered Tunalı. This was a significant step for us. For Gürkan, it was an excuse to discover the next, more distant place… Today, Gürkan travels the world by bicycle. He documents every place he visits and shares them with us through his writings and presentations. For me, the most valuable aspect is his ability to convey this experience, vision, and curiosity to our youth, especially our children. I believe that this experience and expertise need to reach more people, and Gürkan needs more support. For this purpose, I am working to find new sponsors for Gürkan and to enhance his media visibility and recognition. Being a supporter of his vision, passion, and ideals is a source of great happiness and pride for me.Turkey needs explorers like Gürkan.
Burçin Dedeoğlu
I graduated from the Department of Management of Gazi University. I do a job I love and dreamed for, I’m the owner of Masal Media Company. The articles Gurkan wrote during his Turkey-Japan journey took me back to the moments I had lived. In every part I found a part of me (he did not know what I had undergone at that time). I was annoyed that he was left on his own in a project he put his heart in but anyhow set off trusting in himself. After he returned to Turkey I offered my help on my professional basis. Gurkan shot thousands of photos and recorded videos for hundreds of minutes during his tour many of which he never shared. I assisted him to announce this marvelous journey to the mass of people. I held exhibitions fort his photographs. Gurkan is not the one he appears like, he actually encountered many hardships. The moment at which I saw his face shimmering from happiness was invaluable for me. Now, we will hold photo exhibitions and prepare the manuscript of his new book… I’m with you on your tour around the world my dear friend, just continue….
Çağlar Çakan
I’m working as an audio technician and designer for the last 10 years. I like music, coffee, technology and smoking very much. I do not leave my home without any psychological pressure exerted on me since I bear a potential of 15 person’s laziness in my tiny body. I found a very fantastic and realistic reason to move out this lazy body by increasing my passion rank for motorcycle from trailer to driver. Strolling in- and out-side Istanbul became a die hard habit of mine. You might get surprised hearing me saying that actually I do not support my dear Gurkan. I travel next to him. That is, I’m selfish. I’m staying on his side because I want him to share his experiences in his road memmories. So that I feel as if I was traveling next to him. I feel that he is the one who actually supports me. I draw inspiration from him to become a bit more optimistic towards life, nature and surroundings. And also, saying to my friends: “I have a friend who is touring around the world with his bicycle set off from Ankara” overtones me. But this is a subject of another piece of writing. I’ll try to correct typing errors and mistakes on Gurkan’s web site accompanying his journey.
Mine Poge
I’ve a bachelor’s degree on PR from Eskişehir Anadolu University. I have a husband to love, a daughter to adore, a dog to feed, a blog to write, a village to hide when depressed in the big city and 97 sisters & brothers. I’m an obsessed person.. I’m obbsessive about almost anything. Orphans, stray animals, homeless, disabled people, global warming, education, tomato seeds, lenght of bluefish.. Of course, for being impatient I can also be butterfingered most of the time I do love pushing boundries and people that do so, that’s why I love Gurkan. Gürkan, I’ll be a part of your team throughout your world tour on bicycle.
Enes Şensoy
I’m a cadastrial mapping technician. This profession I have chosen without a precise knowledge merged with my hobby and my lifestyle somehow by time. I conduct searches on mapping and geographical information systems. I like to discover rarely known places bound with natural beauty, historical importance and to cycle on challenging mountain roads camping in places unknown to me. I draw routes on Google Earth, follow recent developments about ground positioning devices, mobile devices, geographical information systems, touring cycling and camping gear and get informed. I met Gurkan at a bicycle meeting we both participated in 2009. The tours, the type of roads he takes resemble the tours I made or intend to make. Our touring styles, our feelings about a landscape or a historical artifact we encounter resemble each other. I get excited with his every single pedal stroke and get experienced with each episode he undergoes. I’ll assist Gurkan to find regional routes and share up to date useful new products on markets. It will make me feel better as if I’m traveling next to him during this tour. Who knows, maybe one day.…
İlker Burgaç
I graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law while working on duty in hospitals (I had previously graduated from Akdeniz University Medical Laboratory) and I am currently working as a lawyer in Istanbul. I continue actively with Ethics Committee work, Reproductive Rights projects, activities on Patient Rights, and membership in relevant associations and institutions. While I was at school, I took a break from everything for a year and hitchhiked all over the country with a bag on my back. Orientering (the sultan of my heart), mountaineering (meeting team leader Nüzhet on Mount Ararat is a nice story), adventure races (exceeding mental limits beyond physical limits is priceless every time), ultramarathons (starting ultras without running a marathon or even a half marathon). Then, while reading Kon-Tiki in the hammock, we got pumped up and completed the Lycian project from Ölüdeniz to Olympos on kayaks (canoe), by rowing by sea, as 4 friends, in 7 days. I mean, after working hard to get into Gürkan’s team, I think I succeeded. I may be trying to share in the excitement by reading Gürkan’s articles randomly and repeatedly at every opportunity since his Japan tour, and I may be a little envious. Being on the same path with Gürkan in this dream partnership is simply wonderful!
Özge Mumcu
My path crossed with Gürkan’s in October 2023. We were sitting side by side at dinner in Mardin. One topic led to another, and it’s been like that ever since. We even sat down for a podcast episode.
We’re both from Ankara. We both have roots in Ayvalık. We’re close in age. Ultimately, we’re people shaped by the dry climate and the northern winds.
But there’s one key difference between us: he fully realized his dream. Traveling to 68 countries by bike—it sounds so extraordinary… Who could pull that off?
Fitting different countries, people, and stories into this journey… sometimes falling in love on the road, changing the route… How many people do you know who carry their world on a bicycle like a turtle, face dangerous conditions, camp out, climb mountains, pedal across deserts, and have to watch out for jaguars in the trees while doing it?
We thought our paths had never crossed before. Then I remembered that I’d once eaten at a restaurant he ran in Ankara. Ankara is a huge yet tiny city. We realized we shared mutual friends.
You know, friendships in Ankara are like cement. That cement binds people and turns into a life structure that connects one trusted person to another.
As I joined his talks, I started thinking more about the depth of environmental issues in the continents he visited, issues we often ignore.
While we use electric vehicles for a cleaner environment, villagers are left without water because of lithium mines. While we try to dress fashionably, there are mountains of textile waste in deserts. Hearing firsthand how the world is poisoned by consumption, and realizing that the end of the world might not be so far off, shook me.
As Gürkan continues the final leg of his world tour, I’ve joined the team to help him reflect on Türkiye and to support his efforts around environmental and consumption awareness.
May your road always be open, Gürkan. Keep riding safe, free of accidents and trouble…
And thank you for reminding me, amidst the noise of current affairs, that I still have dreams.
I guess it was meant for our paths to cross in Mardin in 2023.