The English in gecekondu

By Besim Guctenkorkmaz
Sabah (Ankara supplement 30 July 2006)

In the last few days English people living in Ankara have been at Gecekondu. They had an e-mail traffic among themselves and they buy gecekondu all the time from Ulus.

If it is necessary to say more, it is from inside the 19 Mayis stadium.

A group of English people living in Ankara don't miss a single Ankaragucu match. Whether summer or winter they watch Ankaragucu when they play in Ankara. And what is interesting is that for a number of years they describe (the place they go) as "gecekondu". Wearing Ankaragucu strips they go to this stand and, like how we have seen at English matches, they do not stop in their ovations.

One of the group's chiefs James says that every week a 50-strong group of English supporters go to Ankaragucu's matches. The group sends out news by e-mail. They send out messages to one another on what is the price of tickets, what time and where to meet. Ankaragucu's English supporters call each other by the name "kanka". There are names such as "Eski Kanka", "Yeni Kanka" and "Öz Kanka". These Gecekondu stand people describe in Turkish (the term) "gecekondu" in their e-mail. At the appointed time they meet in a bar in Kizilay and after swallowing their drinks they take their seats in the gecekondu stand of the stadium.

One of the group's chiefs James says they believe by supporting one team in Turkey they wouldn't be away from football which they love a lot. That is why they chose Ankaragucu, the closest team to English football and audience.

"Here everyone supports the three big teams," he said. "We are the exact opposite. English people support the team where they live. We live in Ankara and for this reason we support an Ankara team."

The Ankaragucu fans are very ambitious and hot, and they support their team to the end and that is why they chose Ankaragucu and they say that they love the football of this team and they enjoy its supporters.

The English in Ankara took their their places in the stand for the TSYD Cup which was played on Saturday. They supported Ankaragucu and they live the love of football and exitement inside themselves. They keep shouting during the matches and they wave the yellow and dark blue flags. They carry the excitement of the English league to Ankara, and don't you think this is the first time that the English living in Ankara did this?

Since approximately four or five years, with the group they have established they come to all Ankaragucu matches and sit in the Ankaragucu matches and sit in gecekondu and every week their number is growing. I hope this will happen top our people.

EDIT By Oz (not Öz) Kanka: Sorry about taking so long to translate this. I'll leave my comments on the piece itself to the comments section.