Turkish man starts speaking Danish after suffering brain blood clot

KONYA / ISTANBUL

A 67-year-old Turkish man began speaking Danish -- a language he had not used in years -- after suffering a brain blood clot and receiving emergency treatment in central Türkiye, doctors and family members said Friday.

Rahmi Karademir, who spent two decades living in Denmark before returning to settle in Türkiye’s Konya province ten years ago, underwent knee surgery last week at the Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine Hospital.

Two days after the operation, Karademir suddenly lost strength in his right arm and leg and developed speech impairment. He was rushed for evaluation, where doctors discovered a blood clot blocking a major vessel on the left side of his brain.

Neurologists immediately performed an angiography and removed the clot. Following the successful procedure, Karademir’s symptoms significantly improved --but he could no longer speak Turkish.

Instead, he began communicating in Danish, a language he had not spoken in years.

His sudden switch in language startled his wife and children, some of whom speak Danish and were able to communicate with him more easily.

Karademir said he understood Turkish but could not speak it, a situation that caused him considerable distress.

“I remember only a few Turkish words,” Karademir said, communicating through his daughter Meral, who translated from Danish. “I understand Turkish, but I can’t speak it. I’m trying hard to recall. I hope it gets better. Danish is in my mind -- Turkish doesn’t come to me at all.”

His daughter Meral Karademir said the family was shocked to hear him speaking Danish again. “He hasn’t spoken it in years,” she said. “Since my sisters speak the language, he was able to communicate with them more easily. He can still understand Turkish but isn’t able to speak it. He’s very upset because he feels like he’s lost his native language.”

Dr. Gokhan Ozdemir, who led the medical team treating Karademir, described the case as rare but explainable.

“Following the procedure, the paralysis in the patient's right arm and leg improved significantly, and they regained function. Being in the hospital allowed for a rapid response, enabling us to address both the paralysis and Aphasia swiftly” -- -- the language impairment caused by the stroke.

The phenomenon -- known as foreign language syndrome or selective language recovery -- can occur when the brain injury affects language centers differently.

Doctors expect him to gradually regain his Turkish speech ability in time, noting language recovery is possible.