17.10.2026 09:51
In Karacanlık Neighborhood, about 30 kilometers from the Reyhanlı district of Hatay, around 200 people bear the surname Öztoprak. In the neighborhood where families descended from two grandfathers live, children are given second names to prevent name confusion; because of the same surname, even bills are sometimes mixed up. Headman Ali Öztoprak said that everyone except the mosque imam and the school principal bears this surname.
In Karacanlık Neighborhood, located 30 kilometers from the Reyhanlı district of Hatay, about 200 people bear the surname 'Öztoprak'. In the neighborhood where families descended from two grandfathers live, residents use second names and fathers' names to prevent name confusion. In the neighborhood where even bills are sometimes mixed up because of the same surname, there were about 150 households before the earthquake, but the population decreased after the February 6 earthquakes.
About 200 citizens live in Karacanlık Neighborhood, located 30 kilometers from the Reyhanlı district center. What makes Karacanlık Neighborhood stand out—where 150 households lived before the earthquake and whose population decreased afterward—is that everyone living in the neighborhood has the surname 'Öztoprak'. Residents living in the neighborhood made up of two grandfathers use second names or fathers' names to recognize one another. Families living in the neighborhood give their children two names or names such as 'Efnan' and 'Arya' so that there is no name confusion. What prevented confusion in official transactions was the introduction of the Turkish Republic ID number. The fact that everyone except public officials, especially the imam and teacher, has the same surname also surprises those who come to the neighborhood for the first time.
SECOND NAME SOLUTION FOR CHILDREN
Headman Ali Öztoprak, who stated that everyone's surname is 'Öztoprak' in Karacanlık Neighborhood, which takes its name from the karacan trees, said, “Our Karacanlık Neighborhood is our neighborhood, our village, where we have lived since the 1950s. Families descended from two grandfathers and bearing the surname Öztoprak live here. Our neighborhood's name comes from the karacan trees that were once abundant here. Because of these trees, we have a neighborhood called Karacanlık. Sometimes name confusion occurs. As a solution, we have to give our children second names. We use names such as Ahmet Mustafa, Mehmet Mustafa, Efnan, Arya. There used to be a settlement here before. Some of the people living in our neighborhood were our relatives. After the earthquake, they migrated to districts such as Reyhanlı, Antakya, and Kırıkhan. Previously, there was a settlement of about 150 households here. After the destruction caused by the earthquake, there was a serious shrinking in our neighborhood. The identity issue was a problem until our age. After our generation, this problem began to decrease. However, this difficulty was experienced and seen a lot here before. In our neighborhood, except for our mosque imam and school principal, all those residing on the 17 streets in the center of Karacanlık bear the surname Öztoprak,” he said.
EVEN BILLS GET MIXED UP
Ahmet Öztoprak, who said that because everyone's surname is 'Öztoprak,' they sometimes pay relatives' bills, used the following statements: “This is the center of Karacanlık Neighborhood. We have a population of roughly 180-185 people. We descend from two grandfathers; one is Hasan, the other is Tahir. All families descended from these two grandfathers bear the surname Öztoprak. Until now, there has been no other surname among us. Of course, confusion occurs because of name similarities. Sometimes I pay someone else's bill, and sometimes someone else pays my bill. We agree among ourselves and settle up afterward. For example, there is another person named Ahmet Öztoprak. The bill comes to me, and without checking the Turkish Republic ID number, I go and pay it. In the same way, he can pay my bill. Later, when the bills are compared, it becomes clear who paid how much. I check through e-Government; I look and see that I overpaid or that my bill turned out lower. Then we compare with each other and understand whose bill we paid. Sometimes my uncle's child's bill arrives, and ours doesn't. Among us, different naming styles are used, such as Ahmet son of Halit, Yakup son of Halit, Ali son of Ömer, Mehmet son of Hasan. Instead of nicknames, people are mostly referred to by their father's name. Arabic naming styles are also used. For example, we distinguish one another with names such as Ahmet Alkali and Yakup Alkali. Sometimes someone comes and asks about a certain person. We tell them that this person does not live in our neighborhood. Because people with the same surname can also be found in other neighborhoods. This place, however, is a neighborhood made up entirely of the Öztoprak family,” he said.