Turkish Speaking Community determined to visit their hometown this summer

THE coronavirus pandemic has not only had a massive effect on daily life but also the annual events, like summer holidays.

British Transport Minister Grant Shapps said that whether they can have a vacation at home or abroad this year depends on how the coronavirus and especially its new mutations will respond to the vaccines. “Unfortunately I can’t say for sure whether people can go on vacation or not,” saying it was “too early” to tell.

This week, at Londra Gazete we asked our community members living in London, “Do you plan to go on holiday this summer?” In our interview, it’s clear to see a number everyone has set an eye on a summer holiday this year.

Sevim Demir: “I am definitely thinking of going on holiday this summer… if the conditions in Turkey this summer allow, I will visit my country. At least there is a more comfortable and safe living environment, and most importantly, our family is there. In our country, people have a friendlier and positive smile, what we need in such a period is positive solidarity. Therefore, if conditions improve this summer, I am definitely thinking of visiting my country. Summer is difficult both psychologically and socially in London.”

Ozgur Aksu: “If conditions allow, we want to go on holiday like most people. More precisely, we can call it a family visit rather than a holiday. We all have a serious longing, we longed for our family and our country. We also had a family member that we lost in this period, so we want to visit our family elders. Personally, I do not think I would prefer to board the plane for a long time, I believe that travelling with my car would be more reliable. As a matter of fact, we have concerns in terms of air travel…”

Pembe Stanley: “I want to go to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) this summer because I miss my homeland, family and friends very much. If there is a quarantine condition in the TRNC are for a maximum of one week, and if there is no quarantine condition again in the UK, then our dream to go to Cyprus this summer may come true. Staying indoors in our homes in London for a long time affected our psychology in a very negative way. The medicine for all of us is the sun, the sea and the country.”

Hatice Guven: “Of course I think of going on holiday. We have gone through a very bad period and we are still experiencing the effects of the pandemic… It’s a process that negatively affects people’s psychology. Our struggle against the coronavirus pandemic is still continuing, we are in a period that history has never seen and hopefully will not see it again. Therefore, we need a vacation like everyone else… New rules are announced every day, we hope everything will be fine for the summer months. My choice will be the land where I grew up I was born, namely Turkey…”

Ramadan Arkin: “I did not go abroad last summer due to pandemic, but this summer I want to go to Cyprus and visit my family and loved ones. There is a serious uncertainty right now, the mutated virus has had an effect in all countries, but countries are still trying not to lose hope in terms of tourism. Whatever the circumstances, I want to visit my homeland this summer. We all need this, especially in terms of morale and motivation.”