Displacement and separation
Leaving Kayalar meant more than moving elsewhere: it also meant leaving behind a familiar language, neighborhood, graves, and everyday life.
A STORY OF POPULATION EXCHANGE
Some journeys take generations to complete.
From Kayalar to Tokat: the true story of a family displaced in the 1924 population exchange and a descendant who retraced the path to his roots. Written by Abdurrahim Dede, inspired by Dr. Alaattin Büyükkaya’s family memories.
01 — FOLLOWING THE STORYSCROLL DOWN ↓
DISCOVER THE BOOK
The Man Who Found His Roots is available now.
Discover the book through your preferred bookseller. The available edition and language may differ by seller.
BEYOND THE BOOK
More than a story of migration: a journey through memory, belonging, and return.
The Man Who Found His Roots recounts a family displaced from Kayalar during the 1924 population exchange, and the efforts of later generations to reconnect with their ancestral home. This digital archive gathers the book’s story, events, press coverage, photographs, and reader memories.
The story follows a family forced to leave Kayalar for Tokat in 1924. Years later, memories passed through generations inspire Dr. Alaattin Büyükkaya to return in search of his ancestors.
In Abdurrahim Dede’s writing, a family’s experience becomes a reflection on migration, remembrance and shared humanity.
Read the full storyAUTHORAbdurrahim DedeTHE PROTAGONISTDr. Alaattin Büyükkaya
LAYERS OF THE STORY
The search for roots, memories of migration, and the desire to belong.
The book brings together separation, intergenerational memory, and a reunion with the past.
A memory carried across three generations
Stories handed down by older generations, familiar names and a sense of loss form the heart of this book.
A return to ancestral roots
Years later, a new encounter sets Dr. Alaattin Büyükkaya on a journey to his ancestral home.
TRACING A FAMILY’S FOOTSTEPS
The route changes.
The roots remain.
The key stops on a journey remembered generations after the 1924 exchange.
01KayalarThe family’s original home
02SelanikPoint of departure
03SamsunArrival in Turkey
04TokatA new life begins
05Kayalar — RETURNReconnecting with ancestral roots
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Upcoming Events
Upcoming talks, book presentations, and meetings. Select an event for details.
UPCOMING EVENTThe Man Who Found His Roots — 1924 Population Exchange Talk (Tokat)A university talk with Dr. Alaattin Büyükkaya and Abdurrahim Dede.View event details ↗
UPCOMING EVENTKöklerini Bulan İnsan — 1924 Mübadelesi SöyleşisiView event details ↗
UPCOMING EVENTTokat Balkan Türkleri Derneği – Dr. Alaattin Büyükkaya ile Canlı YayınView event details ↗CULTURE AND MEMORY
Past events
Kitap tanıtımları, imza günleri ve yazarın kültürel çalışmalarından seçkiler. Her etkinliğe tıklayarak fotoğraflarını ve haberlerini inceleyin.
PAST EVENTRUYİAD — Book PresentationA presentation about population exchange and family memory.View event details ↗
PAST EVENTKocaeli 16th Book Fair — Book SigningThe book’s author and real-life protagonist meet readers at Kocaeli Book Fair.View event details ↗
PAST EVENTAkça Koca Cultural Platform — First Book PresentationThe first presentation of The Man Who Found His Roots: a gathering about population exchange, family memory, and belonging.View event details ↗MOMENTS AND PEOPLE
Moments preserved in photographs
Encounters and gatherings around the book and its story.
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Photo 39PUBLIC RESPONSE
In the press and online
News, interviews and social media coverage.
From the press
READER FORUM
Reader reviews and shared memories
A place to reflect on the book and share family memories of migration.
Ümit NAZLAR EREN
"KÖKLERİNİ BULAN İNSAN " Kitabı zevkle okurken ilerleyen bölümlerde gözyaşlarıma hakim olamadım. Nadide bir eser ile bizi buluşturduğunuz ve emeklerinizden dolayı sizi kutluyor ve teşekkür ediyorum.
Tahir Serkan Irmak - Kocaeli Aydınlar Ocağı Başkanı
Sayın Bakanım, Kıymetli Büyüğüm 16. Uluslararası Kocaeli Kitap Fuarı’nın ardından hazırladığımız hatıra videosunu sizinle paylaşmaktan mutluluk duyuyorum. Yol göstericiliğiniz için tekrar teşekkür eder, saygılarımı sunarım.
Mehmet Can Tepeli
Kitabı okuyorum, bazı bölümleri ikinci kez okudum. Bana hikayeni anlattığın o kısa sohbette bile dede toprağından, oraya duyduğun özlemden ne kadar çok söz ettiğini hatırladım. Sayfalarda o sesi yeniden duydum. En çok telefon sahnesinde…