“Known for his research on Rumelian Turkism and the history of Sufism; his articles on culture, civilization, and literature; the papers he has presented on these and similar topics at international scholarly organizations; and his always delightful, enlightening, and pleasant conversations, Eyüp Salih is once again before the Turkish reader today with his essays collected under the title First, the Human Being.

Born in 1950 in Ohrid, the multi-faceted and beautiful city of North Macedonia, and having completed his primary and secondary education there, the author—who entered professional life before finding the opportunity to complete his university education in Skopje—continues his journey of wisdom with unceasing and inexhaustible energy and determination after fruitful years spent reading, writing, learning, and teaching.

To be born in 1950 in a country like the former Yugoslavia means to have experienced the comfortable, relatively prosperous, and free times of that country, but soon after, to bear witness to a sudden disintegration, dispersal, and worse yet, conflicts and wars. How many states have the people of this land and generation been citizens of in the nearly three-quarter-century period that has passed, how many different anthems have they memorized, and to how many different formations and curricula have they been subjected in their schools! The person is the same, but when the state, country, flag, anthem, etc., are all different, it becomes difficult to capture and maintain harmony. And resisting and adapting to this dizzying change is not for everyone. In this respect, it is a great honor to preserve one’s religious and national identity as a child and member of the Turkish nation—a nation that is very rich in historical heritage but small in population and influence—in the Balkan geography, which is always ready to flare up with a single spark, while living the “sorrow of being what is left over from a dream,” that is, after the Ottoman centuries filled with peace and security. The Turkic World will always respect and value those who feel and convey this honor today. Eyüp Salih Bey is also among this fortunate group...” (Prof. Dr. Mehmet Samsakçı)