Orhan Kemal's characters were people who despite difficult circumstances, poverty, and despair would flourish and grow fresh hopes in their hearts with the start of a new day. His stories were about characters who refused to be bystanders on the stage of life and who would rather struggle to become the main character. 
 

The first book I read from the master was called "Yalancı Dünya" ( Fake World). The writer had expressed Neriman's losses for the sake of achieving her rose-colored dreams of becoming famous in such a dramatic style that the intense emotions that were experienced in every line later became a reference point for the master's other books. Orhan Kemal's characters were people who despite difficult circumstances, poverty, and despair would flourish and grow fresh hopes in their hearts with the start of a new day. His stories were about characters who refused to be bystanders on the stage of life and who would rather struggle to become the main character. 
 

In order to find out about the details of the master's life I was wondering about after reading with pleasure nearly all of his works which had provided me with the ability to look at life from a different window, I rang the doorbell of the museum of the famous writer in Cihangir. Together with the master's son Işık Öğütçü we started a dolorous, entertaining, and unforgettable journey into Orhan Kemal's world...  
 

He did not build insurmountable walls between himself and other people

Işık Öğütçü explains his different experiences as follows: "As the smallest child of the house I enjoyed the benefits that my brothers and sisters could not. In my fathers diaries only my birth details were written. I am in this way privileged." His face had a radiant smile; his eyes carried the pride of being privileged. In those days when it was impossible to learn the gender of the child to be born, Orhan Kemal and the residents of the house jointly and firmly decided to name the child "Işık" irrespective of gender. And in 1957 long awaited "Işık" was born. We learn from Işık Öğütçü that Orhan Kemal had the profile of a loving, compassionate, and merciful father in addition to being a famous writer. Işık Öğütçü continues, "Believe me, if he was with us at this moment he would conquer your hearts in a few minutes. He would build such strong bridges between himself and people! His good will, candidness, and sincerity are probably the characteristics that made him indispensable. My father never saw himself as a great and unreachable person. He did not build insurmountable walls between himself and other people. His communication with people was different and so was his friendship."