BorisJohnson's Ottoman family ties spark hope in ancestral village
ANKARA - His Turkish great-grandfather was lynched as a traitor, but Turks who proudly claim Mr Boris Johnson as a distant relative are hoping his appointment as UK prime minister will be good news for his ancestral homeland.
"If he ever remembers his Ottoman genes, that may help him forge closer ties with Turkey," said Mr Adem Karagac by phone from Kalfat, where Mr Johnson's paternal ancestors were known as"Sarioglangiller," or"the blond ones".Mr Johnson, also known for his yellow moptop, was appointed Britain's leader on Wednesday , promising to deliver the break with the EU he has long championed.
"I'm a beneficiary of the policies of this country in the sense that my Turkish great-grandfather came to Wimbledon, for some reason, shortly before he was assassinated," Mr Johnson said in London."This is a great, welcoming, open country and we can do that when we leave the EU." Mr Johnson's great-great-grandfather, Ahmet Hamdi Haci, left Kalfat in the 19th century for Istanbul, where he became a businessman, according to a book by the prime minister's father, Stanley, titled Stanley, I Resume.
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