A modern Turkish hero

Recently, this writer had the privilege of dining at the home of Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Adnan Basaga, in honor of a true modern-day explorer and hero, Nasuh Mahruki, whose life reads like a checklist of things we’d all dream of doing in our lifetime, but never had the time or courage to try.

When he went to Bilkent University at Ankara, Nasuh had time on his hands, and his peers were involved in outdoor sports, as they were near a mountain range. He started climbing mountains when he was 20, and graduated to high altitude climbs at 24.

Less than three years later, he had completed the ascent of five 7,000-meter peaks in the Pamir and Tien Shan mountains. Mahruki became one of the few western climbers – and to this date the only Turkish climber – who was given the prestigious Snow Leopard title by the Russian Mountaineering Federation.

In 1995, at age 27, he became the first Turk and the first Muslim climber in the world to climb Mount Everest. At the same time, he was engrossed with cave exploration, paragliding, scuba diving and similar sports.

The following year, Mahruki completed the Seven Summits, climbing the highest mountain of each continent. He was also the youngest climber among all the 45 in the world to do so. Not yet content, Mahruki made the highest solo ascent of Turkey, 8201 meters up Mount Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world.

He climbed 8516 meters up Mount Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world. He climbed 8611 meters up the face of K2, the second highest and, according to experts, the most difficult and dangerous mountain of the world to climb.

 His ascent has not yet been repeated by Turkish climbers, either. What makes these daring accomplishments even more breathtaking – literally – is that all those 8,000-meter climbs were first Turkish ascents ever, and the last three assaults were done without the aid of oxygen.

I asked Mahruki what made him decide to stop all these monumental pursuits.

“Well, there are other things to do besides climb mountains,” he replied smiling, in the voice of a man who knows exactly what he wants to do with his life. “Now, I’m into motorcycles.”

But whereas you or I would mean that as a simple fascination with iron horses, Mahruki means building and maintaining his own fleet of motorbikes, and riding them thousands of miles across continents, for weeks on end. He has traversed Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet and parts of Europe on two wheels.

“I just feel so close to the environment, and to people around me,” he explained in a soft, firm tone. “In a car, you’re enclosed, cut off from things. On a motorbike, people can actually touch you. You’re more connected to everything. You feel it all.”

He has also been a writer, photographer, and documentary producer.

But those are not the reasons why Nasuh Mahruki was in the Philippines.

He was here to receive an award, the Gusi Peace Prize, for his humanitarian award for his advocacy. In 1996, Mahruki founded AKUT Search and Rescue, a volunteer organization that has saved over a thousand lives in Turkey and nearby countries. You see, Turkey, like the Philippines, is also ravaged by earthquakes, forest fires and floods, only on a much bigger scale and with more frightening frequency.

“In our country, there are many areas where earthquakes regularly hit,” elaborates Amb. Basaga, who was incidentally a basketball player in his youth. “AKUT was the only non-government organization prepared for these disasters. And they knew where to go, and could get there fast, we are very proud to have a group like them, doing this kind of work.”

They were put to the test on Aug. 17, 1999, when the huge Marmara earthquake hit Golchuk, killing more than 18,000 people. At that single event, AKUT rescued over 220 people trapped under rubble and collapsed houses and buildings. After that, they became the foremost authority on disaster-preparedness, recognized by the general public in Turkey, and consulted by the government. They have also been asked to bring their knowledge and experience to other countries with similar problems.

“We teach people how to be ready for these events, because where we come from, they are a fact of life,” Mahruki said. “If people know what to do, we can help each other through those times, and lessen our losses.”

As the title of one of Mahruki’s books says, “Motherland is Loved by Actions, not by Empty Words.” That’s what heroes live by.