Anatolian Cowboy

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Vatan Newspaper, 20 January 2019)


                         Uncle Ali riding tall in the saddle.

Ali Kemer (55), known as 'Ali Dayı' (Uncle Ali), lives in Kayseri and
strikes one as a cowboy because of his clothes and the fact that he is
raising nearly 300 horses in the Hörmetçi Sazlığı (watery plain)
between Hacılar and Incesu districts.  Kemer began raising horses at
age 12 and he plans to die in the saddle: "I was born on a horse and
I'll die on a horse."


                                           Best friends

Kemer explained that "we are a family of 50 in the village and
everyone has a horse. I don't sell them.  Someone offered me
25,000 TL for one but I wouldn't sell.  Everyone else has a car, I
have a horse.  People even come from abroad to photograph my
horses. If necessary, I'll sell some of my 100 'camız' (water buffalo)
to take care of my horses."