Turkey has had many names. Sadiq has only ever had one.

It is confusing, what makes up a country. Why is Turkey... Turkey? Why did he not die when things change? How come the Ottoman Empire has been allowed to change when others die? Sadiq does not quite understand it. Not everyone gets to live this long. Sadiq looks around occasionally for a Caliphate when Turkey reminds him they do not have one anymore.

Sadiq cannot keep up with this. He hides behind the mask he placed on a creature once known as...?

"We incorporated the Turks."

"Turks incorporated Anatolia."

"...really?"

"Funny how it doesn't matter anymore."

"We are Turks."

Turkey's names have blurred together in Sadiq's mind.

He is not sure whether Turkey misses being the Ottoman Empire. Sadiq is not sure of much. It is a haze at times, a haze he does not mind because Turkey is very good at enjoying himself where he is. The Nation is passionate – just as Sadiq has always remembered and always hopes to be so. Hiding his eyes behind a mask covers none of this emotion.

It has been a long time, but Sadiq has yet to think he has had enough time. Turkey never tires (at least, not really, nothing he will ever admit to) and that energy carries Sadiq along.

Turkey is no longer the Ottoman Empire. He remembers fighting England, France (from the south), Italy, Armenia (from the east)... Greece.

It is funny how it does not matter how things fall apart. It does not seem to be a big deal now. Democracy works well in Turkey. There may be cries against that, but what do the other Nations know?

They are all hypocrites. And it is not like any of them are like Turkey. Turkey has Sadiq. Sadiq tells him what the people want, he is Human after all. He knows them better than anyone could. Which means he really does know better than the other countries who argue with him about whether he is doing the right thing or not. Sadiq is here, not there. Sadiq is the only one. He knows this. He remembers her telling him so and breaking his heart.

(It means he can bother the sons of those dead women whatever because it does not really matter; if they are just Nations they can handle it Turkey has long since shown Sadiq he can handle more than Sadiq ever could... he can put a mask on though, he can do that.)

Though if Greece could just stop claiming the goddamn sea... things would go a lot more smoothly. He certainly got that from his mother, yes. She was just as annoying.

Sometimes Sadiq wishes things were simpler and they could go to war over it. That had always made more sense than talking and talking and talking when they were doing more than just talking in two different languages. Sometimes Turkey agrees, sometimes not.

Then again, perhaps it is better just to wallow in words. Neither of them want to deal with a Nation screaming "genocide" again because of relocation and deportation. Honestly.

"What do ya know about me? Ya don't have any reason, any right, to say anythin' about me. What do ya know? What do ya know? Get outta my face."

Greece would glare. Hungary would scoff. Turkey would have said his piece.

Not even Sadiq likes Turkey when he gets angry.

After all, what does Sadiq even know? What does he know about Turkey? Everything. Everything and yet he still cannot understand him at times. But Turkey is a Nation and he is not, so that is okay.

But people continue to call their Nation man names, official or no. Turkey and Sadiq hear them all. For good or bad. They hear it and move on. Turkey does not care. And Sadiq...

Sadiq knows who he is.

Because Turkey is Turkey. Sadiq is the man behind the mask.