A surprise birthday celebration was held for 100-year-old Nebi Önay, who lives in the Ipekyolu district of Van, eastern Türkiye.
Kayhan Türkmenoğlu, a deputy from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) representing Van, organized the surprise birthday party at Önay’s home to mark his 100th birthday.
Living with his grandchildren in Halilağa Neighborhood, Önay cut a cake inscribed with "Koca Çınar 100 Yaşında" ("The Great Tree is 100 Years Old"), celebrating his birthday for the first time in his life.
The surprise event became both surprising and emotional for Önay, who has five children, 14 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Önay expressed his happiness about the surprise. He said that he had never celebrated a birthday before and felt happy and excited. “I was very touched. They celebrated my day. In our time, there was no such thing. No one could find such things. Where would we find them? Who would bring them? We have seen all kinds of deprivation and poverty. I always obeyed my mother and father and received their prayers. I advise our youth to be honest, sincere and faithful,” he said.
Önay also shared that he faced many hardships in life and recalled his military service memories. “It is almost impossible to compare the two periods. May God keep our state eternal. In our time, there was scarcity and shortage. Our youth now live in abundance. They live freely,” he added.
AK Party Van deputy Türkmenoğlu stated that they visit the elderly whenever possible and try to meet their needs.
Türkmenoğlu said they wanted to create a beautiful memory for Önay, who had never celebrated a birthday before. “Our century-old elder from our province is very valuable to us. We visited our great tree who has contributed greatly to Van in many areas. We strive to constantly visit our elderly and benefit from their experiences. One who does not know their past cannot build a strong future."
"We act with this belief. Nebi is one of those who knows our last 90 years very well. We celebrated his 100th birthday. We did not want to leave him alone on his happy day. We visited him and received his blessings. We were very moved too. May God grant everyone a healthy and beautiful life,” he said.
