On Tuesday, the last day of the Ramazan (Seker) Bayram, Calis Carnival Committee visited with some of the boys in Fethiye and presented them with carnival baseball caps.

Armed with a box of chocolates and a bag full of baseball caps, representatives from the Calis Carnival Committee visited the boy’s home to meet and chat to the staff and some of the boys.  We were warmly received and over a cup of Turkish Coffee, Necettin and his wife told us a little bit more about the centre.

“We have 14 rooms here,” Necettin said, “which accommodates 60 boys who have no other family with which they can stay.

They are from all over Turkey, as this helps them to start anew and Fethiye is a wonderful place to grow up.

There are only boys here, girls are placed is a similar establishment in Mugla. ”

The boys at the centre are aged between 12 and 24 although many of them go on to University at 18.

Necettin and his wife don’t speak English, so with the help of one of the older boys and our rudimentary Turkish we are able to successfully conduct our conversation.

“We are really pleased you came to see us today, we know there are many foreign people now living in Fethiye, communication is so important for us all to integrate and live together, so we are delighted to see that you are learning some Turkish,” said Necettin’s wife.

Necettin is a teacher who retired to Fethiye two years ago, having lived in Tokat, near the black sea.

The Fethiye home for boys is located near the Tuesday Market.