Loving Care of Turtles
Turtles, whose population has been increasing since 2017 around the Bahçeli Neighborhood Mezarlık Mosque, have attracted the attention of local residents. Noticing this situation, Metin Vural has started to contribute to the feeding of these cute creatures for about 7 years.
Every morning, he waits for the turtles in the mosque garden with the waste lettuce he collects by visiting the restaurants in the district. Since the turtles are used to having food left for them regularly, they come to the mosque garden to get their daily food. These turtles, which add color to Vural’s retirement life, have also become the joy of the children attending the summer Quran course.
Metin Vural expressed the pleasure he felt from feeding so many turtles and stated that his work was appreciated by everyone. Vural said the following in his speech:
- “There are nearly 30 turtles. The guys at the raw meatball restaurant and the restaurant don’t throw away the outer parts of the lettuce, they give it to us. The turtles love the lettuce. While they eat it, we sit and watch with pleasure, and this makes me happy.”
- “I feed these friends, who are starving because there is no greenery here, with lettuce. In the winter, I feed the birds by pouring wheat on the walls. Taking care of the animals is a great pleasure for me.”
- “My friends call this situation of mine ‘Turtle Trainer’. They call me ‘Acıgöllü Turtle Trainer’. I really enjoy feeding animals and I think it is a good deed.”
- “Children also love turtles; sometimes some take their babies home but they bring them back because they can’t take care of them.”
Turtles Add Color to Mosque Surroundings
Mosque imam Hasan Hüseyin Tekin stated that it is possible to encounter turtles all the time around the mosque. Tekin said, “May Allah be pleased, Metin Abi finds greenery from time to time and brings it. Sometimes children also pick leaves from the mulberry tree and give them to the turtles. In terms of their love for animals, children take Metin Abi as an example.”
Nisanur Tekin, one of the children attending the summer course at the mosque, stated that they watch the turtles when they go out to the garden with their friends for breaks during the course days and that watching them is a great source of happiness for them.
