Hikmet Tunç

 

VAN - İde Erol living in Edremit district of Van province cannot prove that she is from Turkey for not having an ID card for 90 years. She has lived bedridden for three years after having a stroke and she hasn’t been accepted by hospital because she doesn’t have an ID card.

 

“It's like a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are,” said the American Dr. Martin Harris to describe what without identity is like. These words are like a summary of İde Erol’s tragicomic story. İde living in the Süphan Neighborhood of Van’s Edremit district cannot prove that she is from Turkey for 90 years because she hasn’t an ID card. İde didn’t need an ID card for years but she has faced problems after having health problems. She has gone to hospital many times but she hasn’t been accepted by hospital because she hasn’t had an ID card. She was examined by doctors after signing a bill given by the hospital. She cannot pay her debts accumulating due to the hospital and medicine expenses.

 

Meryem Erol, wife of İde’s son, said, “Mother and father of İde was born and died in Çatak district. İde was married off to one of her relatives when she was a child. Then her husband married up with another woman. The second woman is the official wife of the man. All children of İde were registered as the children of the second wife.” Stating that İde hadn’t gone to any of government offices until she had health problems, Meryem said, “She didn’t need an ID card until the last three years of her 90 years.”

 

‘I have to give her medicines every three days to not be out of medicines’

 

İde began to live with her son after the death of her husband and the economic condition of her son’s family isn’t good. Meryem said, “I have to give her medicines for high blood pressure every three days to not be out of these medicines. Her medicines are so expensive and we cannot cover the medicine expenses. The doctor says she should stay in a hygienic place but we don’t have any opportunity to provide her this place.”

 

“We couldn’t issue identity documents because we couldn’t prove she is a Turkish citizen. The people working for the registry office think İde is from Iraq. My husband went to Iraq but the people in Iraq said İde wasn’t their citizen. We have faced many problems due to her health problems. We are waiting for the help of sensitive citizens and authorities.”