In 1889, a newspaper in Istanbul published the first-ever news about her. She was very well known

around the close neighbourhood of the biggest lake in the country, which is referred to as a “sea”

rather than a lake by the locals. But it was the first time she became popular among a large portion

of the population. The news was clear, stating that a man was pulled into the lake by her in seconds,

and he was lost forever. No one ever saw the man again after the reported incident.

 

There were many people claiming they had encountered her. She is said to be almost fifteen meters

long, very dark-coloured, and having very sharp protrusions on her back. Taking all this into

account, she resembles a creature from ancient times.

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People are afraid to travel on the lake at night. Many children were threatened with being given to

her when they did not do what they were told. Special sightseeing tours are organized to the small

islands on the lake, where people wait for hours to witness her presence.

 

After decades of rumours and word-of-mouth marketing, she became one of the most famous

"Nessies" in the country. People living in the region were full of pride mixed with a touch of fear

about her. They were proud to have her as a "citizen" in their town. They even built large sculptures

of her around the lake.

 

One might smile or even laugh at the discussions about her. But interestingly enough, the

discussions reached the Turkish Parliament. By then, she had become a national issue of equal

importance to economics, education, and security. Parliament had to decide whether she was real or

fake. After hours of debate, the parliament made the tough decision to form a commission where

scientists and academics would come together to solve this great mystery: Is she real or fake?

 

These well-educated men and women convened and tried to scientifically determine the truth about

her. They analyzed the ecological structure of the lake, interviewed people who claimed to have seen

her and tried to identify similar creatures from ancient times that matched witness descriptions.

After months of meetings and explorations, these serious individuals prepared their reports stating

that she could not be real.

 

She has not taken anyone from the region into the lake for quite some time. However, she continues

to sustain the local economy through the tourism she generates. Every year, thousands of people

visit the Van Sea to try their luck at witnessing her presence.

 

I do not know who invented her in history, but I believe she is a great example of word-of-mouth

marketing. Perhaps we can create a similar “her” at Koç School. We can claim to have seen a

creature on campus, lurking among the trees. With social media today, this task would be much

easier. Who knows, perhaps in a few years, we can have our own Nessie at Koç School. Who would

join me in giving it a try?