Birthday Became Death Day: A Desperate Fight in Germany

In the 1970s, the wave of labor migration from Türkiye to Europe tore thousands of people away from their loved ones, roots, and habits. The stories of these people are often lost in the crowds. But there are some that do not represent a person’s life; they represent only the silent pain of thousands of immigrants. The story of Ahmet Metin Olgun is one of these silent pains

Birthday Became Death Day: A Desperate Fight in Germany

The Olgun family’s migration journey, which settled in Cologne, Germany in 1972, began with a thousand hopes. The family’s step into this new life was realized through İŞKUR, when mother Saadet Olgun first went to Germany. Saadet, who was still a young mother, would tell the story of those first months she spent away from her husband and her homeland, even years later, with tears in her eyes.

After a while, her husband Ahmet Metin also came to Cologne. However, this “new life” was not easy at all. The place they went to was foreign, the climate was cold, the language was unknown. Even going to an ordinary doctor turned into a great adventure. One day, when Saadet Hanım wanted to show the wound on her knee and accidentally said to the doctor, “My rabbit is bleeding.”, the surprised look of the doctor in front of her deepened that despair even more. That moment was not just a mistake in language; it was a symbol of alienation from a country, a system, a life.

Ahmet Metin started working in a furniture factory in Cologne. The paints, varnishes, and lacquers used in these factories were applied uncontrollably at that time. The health of the workers was not cared for, and protective equipment was not provided. Moreover, Metin Bey was also a smoker; this made his lungs even more vulnerable.Over time, coughs started. At first, no one cared. When they went to the doctor, they always got the same answer: “It’s from cigarettes. Don’t worry.”

One day, a doctor finally told the truth: “The throat area is ruined. If you don’t quit smoking, you will die within two years.” But after this diagnosis, no treatment was started, no support was offered. The medical system was silent. That silence would cost a person’s life. Time was working against Ahmet Metin. He lost 25 kilos in just 9 months. His throat pain became unbearable. Blood began to appear in his saliva. Finally, a diagnosis was made: throat cancer.He was hospitalized. But despite all the pain, no chemotherapy was administered. They were content to just watch him. He lost 8 more kilos during his time in the hospital. His body was depleting more and more each passing day.

He was taken into surgery. His throat was punctured. He would no longer be able to speak. When he came out of the surgery, his face was unrecognizable. His eyes and cheeks were so swollen that his own daughters didn’t dare look at his face.“I want a mirror,” he whispered. But he wasn’t given one for three days. Maybe so he wouldn’t see his face and get even sadder…He couldn’t speak anymore. He didn’t know German either. He tried to explain his troubles with his hands and eyes. A look, a movement that replaced every word…And one night, around 03:00, the phone rang.“Your patient attempted suicide. He went to the roof.”His family, who ran to the hospital, were devastated by what they saw. It turned out that Mr. Metin had somehow found the mirror. He had seen himself. He found that state ugly and unrecognizable. The despair that had accumulated inside him had burst. He didn’t want to live anymore.

Because he couldn’t talk, he couldn’t explain his troubles, he couldn’t even express his tears. For this reason, he was sent to a mental hospital with a diagnosis of psychological problems. His family took him out of there with great effort. But he wasn’t the old Metin anymore.He lived for another month when he returned home. But he was wasting away day by day. He lost 5 more kilos. And one morning he felt unwell. This time he was taken to another hospital. The tests showed that the cancer had spread to his lungs and stomach.And again... only two painkillers were given.Again, no treatment was given. Again, he was ignored. Again, he was left alone.Saadet reported the negligence and indifference to the Turkish press, and the tragic story was widely covered in newspapers across Turkey. Metin Bey’s story highlighted the challenges faced by immigrants in healthcare systems and the struggles of foreign patients fighting for proper medical care.

One of his daughters says: "My father was very much in love with my mother. When he missed her, he would drink alcohol and sing the song 'Parayla Saadet Olmaz' and cry." Their daughter lost a devoted, self-sacrificing, proud father. Mrs. Saadet lost her life partner, her love, her confidant... But this story is not just the death of one person. This is the concentration of "foreignness" within us, which the system does not see or care about.Ahmet Metin Olgun's story is not just a death; it is the cry of the seen and the unseen.

And that morning...It was his birthday.He had turned 51. His family wanted to surprise him.But at 08:00, on the morning of his birth, Ahmet Metin Olgun passed away.