"My Family" Sirvictor's Profile

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Fairy Girl Cenan's wedding

My father Captain of General Staff Ahmet Hulki Saral and my mother Hacer Cenan Saral on their wedding day 1940. My father is from Balkan. My mother is from Caucasus. She is a Circassian girl. They met in Turkish Anatolia and married. Normally Circassians dont give their girls to non-Circassians but he was a good looking young Staff Captain of Turkish Army.

My father Ahmet Hulki Saral leutenant of infantry with his mother, sisters, brother-in-laws and couzins in 1926

My fatherland Kozana

Kozana's Clock Tower

My family imigrated from village of Sofular of Kozana during the great exchange of Turks and Rums of Anatolia in 1926. There were 86 Turkish villages around Kozana. Turks lost Kozana on October 24th 1912 during the Balkan War. Since that time Greeks call the city Kozani. Kozana is situated on Northern Greece.

Our Friend Yannis from VT informed me that Sofular is called today "Kapnohori" I was searching for this name for many years. I thank him very much.

Rumeli'nin daglari var
Ne guzeldir simdi aglar
Aglama sen garip vatan
Biz geliriz yine inan.

Rumelia have mountains
They are beautiful but crying
Don't cry you beloved fatherland
Believe us we will came again.

Kozani 2004

I received this photo with the courtesy of my friend Toumpiotis alias Vangelis Mouratoglou from VT who is a grandchild of a Rum family from Anatolia.
Our both families suffered. I prey for no more sufferings.

Hodja Ismail Efendi

Alay Imami Ismail Hoca

My grandfather Hodja Ismail Efendi was the son of Hadji Osman Hodja from village of Sofular of Kozana. He studied islam theology at Fatih Medrese the school for islamic knowledge in Istanbul. After graduating from the Medrese he joined the Turkish Army as regimental Imam. He fought in Balkan Wars and was taken prisoner by the Greeks. After the peace he was released and appointed to Van in East Turkey. He took his family from Kozana which was under Greek occupation and gone to Van same 3500 kilometers away. While he was there the WW I began. He was killed in action while charging againts Russians in front of his regiment at Koprukoy/Erzurum in 1916. This is the only picture of him. May Allahs mercy on him. Allah rahmet eylesin! Dilerimki oyle olsun!

Intro Updated Sep 15, 2007
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Comments (161)

adema29 Jan 15, 2012 at 10:20 PM Report Abuse

Probably I should add also that Dracula have had some allergy caused by the dust raised by your over 100000 soldiers who came there with flowers and Turkish delights and this made him crazzy! :)
See you next summer in Antalya then… we are coming to pay the “tribute” this year too :))
June.b Jan 1, 2012 at 12:06 PM Report Abuse

Great military pictures Tosun. Classic! Happy new Year!
nicolaitan Dec 2, 2011 at 9:20 AM Report Abuse

good to see you on line, hope you have been well, my friend.
olja1234 Jul 17, 2011 at 1:29 PM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday to you, and all the best!
dusica_stamenik Jul 17, 2011 at 11:40 AM Report Abuse

HAPPPY BIRTHDAY!!
MacedonianUK Jul 16, 2011 at 11:23 PM Report Abuse

Dogun gonun kutlu olsun!!! Greetings from hot Monastir-Makedonija!!!!
Donna_in_India Jul 16, 2011 at 6:05 PM Report Abuse

Happy, happy birthday Tosun! Have a wonderful day.
wise23girl May 27, 2011 at 9:26 AM Report Abuse

We are in Bitloa now...Ohrid tomorrow After meet here we go to Turkey for first time. Marg
melosh Jan 22, 2011 at 12:38 PM Report Abuse

Now that you mention it, I do recall seeing some Angora cats but did not get any pictures. I love your VT page.
Texaschoctaw Oct 19, 2010 at 9:21 AM Report Abuse

happy belated birthday wishes!!! i think of you and also my son on 7-17. we may not speak but you are are thought of alot. we are dealing with water issues in this state of oklahoma. how do you handle water there? take care from choctaw in the usa.