This is a simple but sweet story from Turkey, the home of the real Turkish Angora and Turkish Van. I’ll keep it short.

In Turkey there are community cats – cats living in the community but not owned by anyone in particular. It is a method that works well. They hang around places where there is food and that often means shopping centers. There is a mutual respect between person and cat.

Çiçek, the Bolu Beyi Shopping Arcade cat that the shopkeepers love

One such cat is Çiçek, which means flower in Turkish. It is a good name, isn’t it when the coat is tortoiseshell and white; colourful just like a flower?

Çiçek is well known at the Bolu Beyi Shopping Arcade. She has been part of the community of shopkeepers for 12 years. They feed her. They either love her or at least accept her.

The management of the arcade (shopping mall) wanted Çiçek out of the place. They warned the shopkeepers that Çiçek will no longer be allowed at the arcade and officials went looking for Çiçek on 3rd July to get her and possibly euthanise her. The management represent the landlord and the shopkeepers are probably tenants, renting their shops.

Çiçek represents the the ordinary people versus the capitalist for me. Twenty-two out of 34 shopkeepers will petition the Bolu Municipality on 7th July requesting that Çiçek be saved and allowed to be at the arcade. That is fighting talk and it is action born out of decency and love for the cat.

May you win the battle between shopkeeper and landlord and may Çiçek once again grace the shops of the Bolu Beyi Shopping Arcade.

Rigth now, no one knows where Çiçek is.