After working as a teacher for 30 years in Erzurum, eastern Türkiye, Harun Kazan (64), a married father of four and grandfather of four, retired and fulfilled his childhood dream of studying law.
He passed the university entrance exam and enrolled in Atatürk University’s Faculty of Law, from which he graduated. After completing a one-year internship, he received his attorney’s license and took the first official step into his new profession.
The eldest of eight siblings born to Rahile and Ismail Kazan, Harun Kazan lives in the Aşkale district. After graduating from high school, he had dreamed of studying law, but since there was no law faculty in Erzurum at the time, he enrolled instead in Atatürk University’s Faculty of Education and studied classroom teaching.
He graduated in 1983 and worked as a primary school teacher for nearly three decades before retiring in 2012. Benefiting from a reinstatement law, Kazan could attend the law faculty he had previously qualified for but could not join due to financial hardship.
He studied for four years and graduated in 2023 from Atatürk University’s Faculty of Law. In 2024, he completed his one-year internship and officially received his license in a swearing-in ceremony held by the Erzurum Bar Association last week, where he was presented with his certificate by Bar Association President Mesut Öner.
Kazan expressed his happiness at fulfilling his dream, even if later in life, saying: “I was the only child in the family to pursue an education. My dream was always to become a lawyer, but since there was no law faculty in Erzurum, I studied education and became a teacher. While still working in 2007, I took the university exam again and was accepted to Istanbul University’s Faculty of Law. But by then, I was married with four children, and I couldn’t leave my job to attend a program that required full-time attendance.”
He continued: “After retiring, I took advantage of a comprehensive reinstatement regulation and completed my legal education at Erzurum Faculty of Law. I studied for four years alongside classmates the age of my grandchildren. I always set an example for them. They all called me ‘teacher’ and treated me with great respect. After graduating, I interned for six months.”
“I then completed another six months of internship at the courthouse. With the oath ceremony held at the bar, I received my license and officially became a lawyer. My first goal now is to work as a legal counsel for an institution. If not, I will practice privately,” he added.
Noting that all his children are university graduates, Kazan added: “Young people should never give up on their dreams. Don’t let the difficulties you face along the way defeat you. Keep pushing toward your goal. Overcome each obstacle one by one until you reach it. My wife and children were my biggest supporters in this journey. I completed it in four years and reached my goal. My next aim is to pursue a master’s degree and PhD in constitutional law.”