77-year-old Sadiye Kocabalkan, who lives in Küçükçekmece Yeşilova District, immigrated to Germany in 1960 with her husband Recep Kocabalkan. Kocabalkan, who has 3 children, returned to Turkey in 1970 by purchasing a brand new model vehicle.
After Recep Kocabalkan’s death in 2014, his wife Sadiye Kocabalkan never took the car, which had 82 thousand kilometers, on the road again so that his memory would live on. Tire mechanic Mahmut Çınar, who is interested in antique vehicles, informed the family to buy the car.
However, the family rejected the request, stating that they did not want their memories to be lost.
THEY WERE CONVINCED AFTER 6 MONTHS
Çınar, who insisted on purchasing the 53-year-old vehicle and involved his mutual acquaintances, informed the family again. After about 6 months, the family was convinced and sold the 1970 model car, which had original paint and all materials, to Mahmut Çınar.
After the notary procedures, Kocabalkan handed over the keys and license of his vehicle, full of 53-year-old memories, to Çınar.
“WE SOLD OUR MEMORIES SO THAT THEY WOULDN’T ROT”
Sadiye Kocabalkan said that the car had not left the garage for about 10 years after her husband died. “My wife has been commuting to work by bicycle for many years. He finally bought a car, but he wasn’t going to work with it. It was his precious. Even after he passed away suddenly, we never took the car out of the garage again. As long as the car remained in place, it seemed as if he was still alive. Now we have done something to prevent his memory from rotting away. Mr. Mahmut came once again, but we had not done anything until then. Common friendships and neighbors were more important to us than money. You spend the money and it’s over. But your memories and the impression people leave on you are very important. You know how a person leaves his child in good hands? The car is also important to us. After my wife’s death, it did not seem appropriate for me to hand over her memory and value to a person who did not know her value. “We realized that if their memories were to rot, we would be worse off, so we decided to sell.” said.
“THE VEHICLE WILL TAKE ITS PLACE AMONG MY CLASSIC VEHICLES”
Explaining that current cars do not attract him and that he has a passion for classic cars, Mahmut Çınar said:
“The 1970 model vehicle is our neighbors’ vehicle. Last year, a mutual friend of ours, knowing my interest in old cars, asked me if I would be interested in this car. So I came and visited. They didn’t think of selling it much at that time, the vehicle has been in the family for about 50 years. Then the family got to know me more. They trusted me. Because we are leaving it in safe hands. I bought the car, but in my opinion, they gave the car as a gift.
Because it was really valuable to them. But I believe that it is also very valuable to me, although not as much as they are. It will take its place in the garage. I will do all the maintenance. I will take a family tour on weekends in the summer. The car is a 1970 model, bought new in Germany, and is 53 years old. After our uncle passed away, he was not employed for about ten years. It is kept closed in the tarpaulined garage.”