The Village Starbucks Forgot

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Posta Newspaper, 11 August 2017)


Perhaps the only place in Turkey without a Starbucks.

In the village of Lübbey, in Ödemiş district of İzmir province,
there is neither electricity nor land worth cultivating.  30 years
ago migration from the village began and when a resident
recently died the village's population shrank to 5.


Next week, introducing  the "Lübbey-ccino"

Coffeehouse operator Mehmet Güler, though, has not forgotten
the five elderly villagers.  Güler was born and raised in Lübbey
but left for Ödemiş so his sone could attend school there.  Now,
on particular days, Güler visits Lübbey, serves coffee and
tea and brings break.  He explained that "It's 36 kilometers
round trip and sometimes I don't have gas money. But I come
to keep the village alive.  Even if only one person remains, I'll
come."