Letters From the Past Ending Explained: Will Elif and Banu Live Together?

‘Letters From the Past’ or ‘Gelecege Mektuplaris’ is Netflix’s Turkish drama series that follows the life of a young girl named Elif, who goes on a life-changing quest to find the identity of her biological mother. It follows the protagonist as she tries to unravel the history of the literature club, a student group that was run by her adoptive mother, Fatma Ayar, two decades ago. However, Fatma, who is now diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, cannot recollect the past.

With only her mother’s old diaries and the letters written by the members of the literature club in her possession, Elif strives to seek out the truth, which not only challenges her but also the adults she encounters in her quest. As the narrative reaches a finishing point, Elif finds herself in a difficult position, having to choose between forging her own destiny and chasing the past. Her past, present, and future converge in a deeply emotional moment. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Letters From the Past Plot Synopsis

The story begins with a teenager named Elif caring for her mother, Fatma Ayar, a retired teacher diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As she goes through her mother’s old diary and documents from the past, it leads to a shocking revelation through an anonymous letter that she is not Fatma’s biological daughter, but was given up for adoption by her biological mother two decades ago, around 2003. She also discovers unposted letters from the past, pointing towards a literature club run by her mother when she was a teacher at Sanver High School in Istanbul. The protagonist deduces that one of the students in the former club is her actual parent and sets out on a journey of self-discovery.

As Elif begins to unravel the secret, the narrative shifts back and forth between different events in 2003 and the present, 2023. The literature club in 2003 consisted of Banu, Mert, Murat, Seda, Zuhal, and Ahmet. The group is chaotic and wild, with individual differences but a sense of group unity. A complex love situation emerges where the girls, Zuhal and Ban, both love Mert, a boy with an attitude, with his heart set on Seda. Murat finds it difficult to hide his love for Zuhal. Fatma Ayar asks the students to write letters to the future as a part of their curriculum.

Despite initial reluctance, they all start writing letters, often to themselves, to be received in the future. Due to a revelation in one of the letters that Seda used to vomit, Elif starts thinking that she is her real mother. However, it is revealed by Pelin, Seda’s sister, that she died in 2003, and not her mother. In the past, a birthday party turns romantic and desperate, as Banu and Murat sleep together, without feeling insecure about the intimacy between Zuhal and Mert. In the past, Mert tried to be a basketball player, but found himself just being a coach in the present.

Murat, who used to be rich as a student, now works as Banu’s driver. Elif’s suspicions lead her towards Zuhal, who is now an influencer, but denies being the protagonist’s mother. At present, Mert and Banu connect on an emotional level despite staying in different countries. As Banu and Mert grow closer in the present, Zuhal tells Elif that she’s her biological mother. Banu exhibits intimacy issues with Mert, and Zuhal tries to bring Elif closer to her, but lies about her past family being a happy one. Murat tries to reconnect with his long-lost ex-wife, Nevra.

In the present, Murat reveals his insecurities about fatherhood to Banu, a friend he still trusts. He also develops a bond with Elif, due to the letters from the past, and presents her a book in memory of his teacher Fatma. As Fatma passes away, Elif’s emotional struggle intensifies, and she’s comforted by her caretaker Rahat and Zuhal. The influencer asks Elif to move in with her and to actually live as a mother and daughter. Banu visits Fatma Ayar’s home as a mark of respect and has an emotional conversation with Rahat. As the members of the literature club plan to have a small reunion, hidden truths are revealed.

Letters From the Past Ending: Will Elif and Banu Live Together?

Elif’s search for her long-lost biological mother is the emotional nucleus of the narrative. On her birthday, when she finds out that Zuhal has been lying to her and that Banu is her real mother, she mysteriously invites both women to a restaurant to have a proper conversation. Banu, who is still unaware of Elif’s knowledge of the truth, assumes that it’s a meeting to discuss Fatma Ayar and her life. Elif doesn’t confront her biological mother, but goes on to celebrate the life of her mother, Fatma Ayar, a woman who actually cared for her. It can be presumed that Elif and Banu will never live together as mother and daughter, because Elif grows beyond the phase of hunting the past.

Elif stops obsessing over the things she cannot change, but instead learns to accept her reality and her own strengths as an independent girl. Banu has her own insecurities about the past, which makes it difficult for her to accept Elif as her daughter. It’s not only her past abandonment of her child, but also the consequences of it that make Banu feel that she’s beyond the idea of motherhood. Her pregnancy was a result of desperation and drunkenness at a party, which didn’t mean much to her emotionally at the time, except for the guilt of giving a child away for adoption and the insecurities of being a pregnant teenage girl.

Banu chooses not to have children with her ex-husband Sami, because she isn’t drawn to the concept of motherhood. Elif has become a mature individual and realizes that she cannot change who Banu is. It can be presumed that the paths of the mother and daughter will never cross again, as they have both made peace with who they are and don’t find the emotional need for each other’s company. Elif will probably pursue her career and life in her own terms, while Banu will attempt to lead a happy life without depending on anyone else.

Ultimately, both the characters move towards a sense of liberation, without emotional dependence or turmoil. It’s not even a remote possibility that Banu and Elif will live together, as Banu doesn’t know that Elif knows the truth, and Elif has her own life to build. Despite the possibility of them crossing paths again, it can be said convincingly that they will not talk about their biological connection or consider staying together.

Will Banu and Mert Get Married?

Banu and Mert share a complex story of love, insecurities, and ambitions. In the past, Banu fell in love with Mert when he comforted her by pretending to be her boyfriend in front of bullies and trying to insult her for being overweight. Since that moment, Banu has been obsessed with Mert, despite his shortcomings and continued neglect of her as a person. Due to his own insecurities as an “alpha” kind of figure in the group, he neglects and sometimes displays rudeness towards Banu. However, his failed ambitions of becoming a basketball player are not realized because of the injury he sustains after being assaulted by Levent.

At present, Mert is a basketball coach who reconnects with Banu through texts. He goes to Istanbul to accompany his team and reconnect with his past. It is visible that he is now a changed person, without any shades of his red flags from his teenage years; he has now become a respectful man. Banu and Mert grow closer as they start seeing each other in Istanbul, which is also complicated because Banu is divorcing Sami. They start connecting on an emotional level, remembering the past, and reflecting on how they have changed as people. It’s definitely a possibility that the two will get married, as they no longer have to deal with the burdens of the past.

Banu has been in love with Mert since her teenage years, and Mert realizes that she will continue to love him forever. In the ending parts of the series, the two are seen with their bags, traveling together towards an unknown destination, signifying that they will go on a journey together in life. Banu initially exhibits intimacy issues with Mert due to her past experiences of unplanned sex with Murat and the pregnancy that changed her emotional outlook.

Mert is mature enough to give her the space and time she needs to resolve her psychological issues, and will mostly support her through it. Due to their deep understanding of each other’s perspectives, it can be assumed that they will definitely consider getting married sometime in the future. It is also possible that they will not get married, and just live together as partners for a long time, but the situation and their personalities indicate that them getting married is the more likely outcome.

Does Elif Forgive Banu? Why Doesn’t She Reveal the Truth?

After a long and arduous journey, Elif finds out that Banu is her biological mother. When she invites Zuhal and Banu to a restaurant to have a conversation, it seems like she is calling them over for a confrontation. However, once she starts talking, she says that she is Fatma Ayar’s daughter, despite having a different biological mother. She doesn’t reveal the truth to Banu because she understands that the past cannot help her and will only make her more emotionally dependent and weaker as a person. The protagonist realizes that she must forge her own destiny and not depend on the love of a woman who has never tried to connect with her over the years.

Though it is not explicitly shown in the narrative, it can be assumed that Elif has wholeheartedly forgiven Banu. More than forgiveness, Elif doesn’t place too much value on Banu, due to her realization that Banu is not the solution to her problems, but her own soul is. She chooses not to reveal the truth because it will only lead to more emotional complications in the future, which will only bring the two of them down. When she asks Banu if she has any kids, she says no, which makes Elif realize that Banu hasn’t accepted her identity as a mother, which is her independent choice. There’s, in fact, nothing that Elif has to forgive, as the issue no longer seems relevant to her.

Elif’s own newfound sense of independence makes her accept Banu’s choices as well, which is a layered message on feminine liberation from the constraints of biology and society. Banu and Elif are also two individuals who are in extremely different situations in life, and are looking for different things, with nothing in common between them, except their biological truth. Elif proudly says that she’s Fatma Ayar’s daughter, as she was the one who actually played the role of a mother with a genuine heart. Forcing the choice on Banu would make both of them resentful and toxic, which wouldn’t be ideal for their future. Elif’s choice not to reveal the truth to Banu and her forgiveness is a decision that was shaped by a range of emotional, practical, mature, and independent thoughts.

How Does Elif Find Out the Truth About Banu?

Elif’s search for her biological mother reaches an end when Zuhal lies to her about being her mother. However, soon after, Fatma Ayar unfortunately passes away, leaving Elif heartbroken. The young girl is seen at the funeral from a distance by Banu, her actual biological mother. Seeing her daughter sad makes Banu emotional, prompting her to visit Fatma’s house and pay her respects to her former teacher. She finds herself alone, with only Rahat, Elif’s caretaker, in the house. Overcome by her guilt of abandoning her daughter as a kid and the gravity of the situation, she reveals to Rahat that she’s Elif’s mother, becoming very emotional as she talks.

Rahat is shocked to find out that the young girl has been kept away from the truth for so long. When Elif prepares to leave the house to go and stay with Zuhal, whom the protagonist believes to be her mother, she spots Rahat being very disturbed. When she pushes Rahat to tell her why, the caretaker reveals that Banu is Elif’s mother, and not Zuhal. This marks an important turning point in the storyline, where the protagonist’s difficult and emotional quest finally comes to a halt, leading to a cathartic moment of acceptance and liberation.