Born in 1933 in the Oğuzlar district of Çorum, Abdullah Hastaoğlu, who first left his village for compulsory military service in 1953, began keeping a diary while serving in the army.
Abdullah Hastaoğlu, who completed primary school, continued this habit he started by writing down his daily experiences on blank pieces of paper during his military service, and he continued it in Oğuzlar after returning from his military duty.
Known as "Kıymetli" (Precious) by the local people due to being born after 11 sisters, Hastaoğlu has not abandoned the habit of keeping a diary for 70 years.
Hastaoğlu carefully preserves the diaries where he notes down the names of those who gifted him the diaries on the first page and adds a thank-you note. Having worked as a roof craftsman and a farmer for many years, and having served as the village headman for three terms, Hastaoğlu continues to live with his wife, son, and son's family in his home overlooking the Obruk Dam in Oğuzlar. From the verses and prayers he reads when he wakes up to the time he goes to sleep in the evening, from the temperature to environmental events, from the deceased in the neighborhood to the newborns, Hastaoğlu notes down everything he sees throughout the day in his diary and wants to continue this habit as long as his health allows.
"They ask me if there are mistakes in the funeral information at the municipality"
Hastaoğlu, who hasn't skipped a single day since he started, said, "I write in the diary everything I did each day. If a guest comes, I write it down. I have never had a day that remained empty. I also write down the names of the deceased on the back pages of the diary. I write down where they died and where they were buried. If there is a mistake in the funeral information at the municipality, they ask me. I look up the name and provide them with the information."
"I'm doing this, and I enjoy it. I write about rain, snowfall. This year, snow fell in many provinces after a long time, rain fell, floods came. Half of Türkiye was swept by floods, I write about these. If I don't write them, I can't sleep at night. Before going to bed every day, I write. When the day is over, I write down everything that happened. I have never had a day without writing. My hip bone was broken, I had a major surgery. Even from my seat, I kept on writing."
He expressed his determination to keep writing until his final days.
