23.07.2026 15:12
In the Yazlık Neighborhood of Ordu's Perşembe district, all 135 households have the surname Sarı. While the same names cause confusion, people distinguish each other by nicknames.
In the 135-household Yazlık neighborhood of Ordu's Perşembe district, everyone's surname is Sarı. Because of the same names and surnames, people have to use nicknames, and the surname 'Sarı' appears on newborn babies' birth certificates and on the tombstones of the deceased.
The fact that everyone living in the district's Yazlık neighborhood has the surname 'Sarı' sometimes causes confusion. Those with the same first name, when their surname is also Sarı, are known by their given nicknames. This situation also causes confusion in official documents and transactions in the neighborhood.
SAME SURNAME ON ALL TOMBSTONES
For some reason, when someone is called to the police station, another person with the same name might go instead. In this case, Turkish ID numbers, mother and father names, and nicknames come into play. Although they are all distantly related, citizens who are accustomed to this situation do not find it strange, while those encountering such an incident for the first time are surprised. In the neighborhood, all surnames on tombstones appear as Sarı.
WHEN THE GENDARMERIE CALLS, 5 PEOPLE GO AT ONCE
Neighborhood headman İsmet Sarı said that their ancestors, who came from Trabzon and Rize, once lived in the neighborhood. Stating that they have been living in the neighborhood as the 7th generation, Headman Sarı said, "Our surnames are all Sarı. There is a lot of confusion at the gendarmerie and police. Sometimes 3-5 Ahmet or Mehmet Sarıs go to the police station, and some of them have the same mother and father names. We confirm with Turkish ID numbers, we confirm with nicknames, otherwise there are problems. Everyone is somehow related."
Mustafa Sarı, a resident of the neighborhood, stated that when someone with his name is asked about, there are at least 15 people with the same name, saying, "Everyone has a nickname, we distinguish them this way, otherwise there is confusion. It goes on like this from generation to generation."
SHE TOOK BACK HER MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME AFTER GETTING MARRIED
Ayşe Sarı, explaining that her mother's surname before marriage was Sarı and that her surname became Sarı after she came to Yazlık Neighborhood as a bride, said, "My mother used to live here and her surname was Sarı. Her surname changed when she got married, and then I came to this village as a bride, and later my surname became Sarı too. It's an interesting situation; when I was little, my mother would tell me and say that everyone's surname was the same. On the graves, there is always the surname Sarı; they can find them by mother and father names or birth and death dates, otherwise there is confusion."
Cemile Sarı said, "This situation is very old. My surname was Sarı before marriage, and it is still Sarı. This village is entirely Sarı. It's a good situation; we are satisfied with our surname."