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….
Gül Yanık
After graduating from the Faculty of Law of Baskent University in 2008, I received my MSc degree in International and European Union Trade Law from Lausanne University. Having worked for law offices in Switzerland and Turkey, I finally established Yanik Law Office. I met Gurkan Genc in 2007. I have read all the articles he wrote and watched the videos he recorded during his North Asia tour. Reading his articles I saw exactly the same what Gurkan saw in the Gobi desert, on Pamir Mountains or in a temple in China. He became one of my favorite writers in due course. The man with iron horse shows people that there is nothing impossible. I will always be with him during his tour around the world…
Leman Büyükdayıoğlu
I graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Baskent University. While I was dreaming to become an architect I ended up in the Medicine Faculty upon my father’s request and at the end my profession became my passion. I like to help people and always succeed to smile upon a simple acknowledgement after sleepless hours at emergency stations. After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine I went to Japan for a month to practice. After I returned to Turkey I attended language lessons and continued to deepen my knowledge about this country. Gurkan Genc entered my life by this way. That guy had ridden on his bicycle all the way from Turkey and Japan. I read his adventure with such a great excitement. He caused me to live the excitement once more I had experienced over there. When he returned to Turkey I met him. Since I’m a doctor thousands of questions came in my mind. I confronted him with questions as what did this guy eat and drink, the vaccines, controls, pulse, heartbeat etc. The answer was: “Well, I just set off and arrived in Japan my dear Leman, nothing more”. He is like me, the one saying “I wanted to, so I did it”. He is the one expanding the horizons of hundreds of youngsters, the one showing us how nature and primitivity keep us alive apart technological perfection. He is the one who discovered how coincidences actually cheer up the life. I am grateful to have met you.
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.
Hüseyin Doğan
I graduated from the Faculty of Communication of Ankara University. I took part as film editor in short films, TV programms, introductory films, documentary films and video musics businesses. For present I work as a freelance film editor. Gurkan Genc is realizing the dream of many people. While doing this, he convinces us that we can clear our own hurdles and encourages us to realize our dreams. I’m proud to be amidst the team mates. As we did after the Turkey-Japan tour I would assist Gurkan to setup a documentary film from the scenes he filmed.
Ruhfen Kavasoglu
Ankara Yapı ve Endüstri Meslek Lisesi Yapı Ressamlığı Bölümü sonrasında 9 Eylül Üniversitesi İnşaat Mühendisliğinde okudum. Kaç kere Cinnah yokuşunu ayakta pedallayarak çıkma yarışı yaptık, kaç kere de Seymenler tarafından Tunalı Hilmi’ye dalış, saymadım. Hâlâ binalara merdivenlerden çıkıyorum. Bisikletimin sportif kalmamda bana çok faydası oldu. Herkesin bir hayali var ya, benimki de Cesur yürek Gürkan ile bisiklete binmek!… Olacak inşallah!…
Cesur yürek Gürkan ile Japonya seyahatini yaparken Türkmenistan’da tanıştık. Geleceğini daha önceden haber almıştık. O zamanlar Elçilikte görev yapan eşimin işi dolayısıyla olayları izleyebiliyorduk. İşin kaymaklı tarafı bir de hemşehrimiz çıkmaz mı? Onun için bu kadar büyük hedefi ve diğerlerini gerçekleştireceğinden hiç şüphe etmedik! (Kendimizden biliyoruz) Adı konmamış “nice maceralar içindeyken hayatını kazanmak” mucizesini gerçekleştirmek de bizim için yeterinden fazla cesaret işiydi. Her ne kadar Teknik işlerle uğraşan biri olsam da edebi yanım hiç uzakta kalmadı. Makaleler, şiirler, güfteler, skeçler vb. gibi yazılarım, benim hayatın şifrelerini çözmem de kullandığım anahtarlarımdır. Cesuryürek’imizin beğenisini kazanan da bu oldu ki, kitabının yazılarını düzenleme (redakte)işini yapmama izin verdi. Karınca kararınca onun yaptıklarına bir katkım olduğu için sevinçli ve mutluyum. Türkmen atasözünün de dediği gibi: “Yolun Ak, Yoldaşın Hak Olsun Cesuryürek”
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.…
Buğra Canata
Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi, İngiliz Dili ve Edebiyatı bölümü mezunuyum. İstanbul’da İngilizce Öğretmeni olarak çalışıyorum. Amatör olarak bilgisayar, internet, yazılım gibi işlerle ilgileniyorum. Uzun yıllardan beri bisiklet üzerindeyken, son yıllarda bu tutkumu uzun mesafelere çıkarttım. Her gün okula bisikletle gidip geliyor, bisikletli gezginlerle tanışıp İstanbul’da misafir ve rehberlik ediyorum. Gürkan’ı da ilk kez Japonya turuyla tanıdım, ancak ilgiyle takip eder oluşum benim de bisiklete gerçek anlamıyla gönül verişimle başladı. Yazdığı metinleri İngilizceye çevirmekte yardımcı oluyorum, çocuklardan büyüklere dünyanın ortak dili olabilmiş bisikletin Türkiye temsilcisi Gürkan Genç’e edebileceğim her yardım, bu dili konuşan bir geleceğe yapılmış bir yatırım olacak.
İlker Burgaç
İstanbul Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesini hastanelerde nöbet tutarak çalışırken (öncesinde Akdeniz Üniversitesi Tıbbi Laboratuvarı bitirmiştim) bitirdim ve halen İstanbul da avukat olarak çalışmaktayım. Etik Kurul çalışmaları, Üreme Hakları projeleri, Hasta Hakları üzerine etkinlikler ve ilgili dernek ve kurum üyeliklerim aktif olarak devam etmektedir. Okuldayken 1 sene her şeye ara verip sırtımda çanta ve otostopla ülkenin her yanını gezmeyi ihmal etmedim. Orientering (gönlümün sultanı), dağcılık (Ağrı Dağı’nda takım lideri Nüzhet’le tanışmış olmak güzel bir hikaye), macera yarışları (fiziksel sınırların ötesinde zihinsel sınırları her defasında aşmak paha biçilemez),ultramaratonlar (maraton hatta yarı maraton bile koşmadan direk ultralara başlamak ayrı bir kafa) derken hamakta Kon-Tiki okurken gaza gelip kayaklarla (kano) Ölüdeniz’den Olimpos’a, denizden Likya projesini 4 arkadaş 7 günde kürek çekerek tamamladık. Demem o ki Gürkan’ın takımına girmek için epey ter döktükten sonra başardım sanırım. Japonya turundan günümüze her fırsatta Gürkan’ın yazılarını rasgele ve defalarca okuyarak heyecana ortak olmaya çalışıyor ve azıcık gıpta ediyor olabilirim. İşbu hayal ortaklığında Gürkan’la aynı yolda olmak en basit tarifiyle harika!