As a graduate student in Cultural Studies at Sabancı University, Nazlı conducted an oral history interview with Ekrem.
Nazlı:
“Conducting an oral history interview with Ekrem demonstrated that narrating and transmitting a story of one’s life are shaped by the memories one selects in relation to one’s positionality. He was such a natural storyteller that without the need for questions, or taking a pause, he told me about his childhood, his youth and what he encountered during these periods. For a long time, I only asked one-word questions without breaking the flow to show that I was following his narration. In this oral history interview, Ekrem clearly enunciated his position through his sentences, body language, and emotional transmission. It also made me question my own positionality as a researcher.”
From the Interview:
“I actually feel lucky, as there are those who paid the price horrendously, and when I compare myself to them, I am very lucky. But I had to leave my land, I had to leave Diyarbakır’s lahmacun and ciğer behind, this is what comes to my mind now. I had to leave the city and my loved ones, and it is unclear when and how I will be able to see them again.”