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Boris Johnson’s ancestral village in Turkey pledges to sacrifice 'many sheep' in his honour

Town of Kalfat in Anatolia is the home of the Foreign Secretary's paternal great-grandfather

Monday 26 September 2016 15:57 BST
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Boris Johnson’s paternal great-grandfather, Ali Kemal, is from Turkey
Boris Johnson’s paternal great-grandfather, Ali Kemal, is from Turkey (Reuters)

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Boris Johnson’s ancestral village in Turkey has pledged to sacrifice "many sheep" in honour of his visit to Turkey.

The town of Kalfat in Anatolia, which is the home of Mr Johnson’s paternal great-grandfather, takes immense pride in his political achievements.

They have also offered to repaint the village and give the Foreign Secretary the full red carpet treatment if he comes to visit.

“We will sacrifice many sheep in Boris’ honour. We will repave our roads, repaint our buildings. We will give him the complete red carpet treatment if he visits his ancestral village,” Adem Karaagac, the village headman, told Middle East Eye.

Mr Johnson’s mannerisms and blonde hair apparently resemble many of the village’s residents.

“But what I have noticed on television is that his mannerisms and body movements also strongly resemble those of the people in our village,” Mr Karaagac said.

“It’s a small village and many of the people are distantly related. Even my wife is somehow related to Boris. I am not sure of the exact connection though.”

Mr Johnson’s father Stanley visited the town eight years ago and the villagers sacrificed a sheep in his honour.

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