I thought I was being unfair when I allocated only a small part of last week's long Gölyazı route guide to the "Stork Village." I think I should introduce Türkiye's only and Europe's 11th Stork Village in much more detail.

Stork Village, with its real name Eskikaraağaç, was selected as the European Stork Village by the European Natural Heritage Foundation in 2011. Apart from the one in Türkiye, there are 13 stork villages in Europe in total. The stork villages across Europe include towns in Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Germany, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Switzerland and Austria.

Village of storks?

First, I must mention that the Stork Village in Eskikaraağaç, is a Ramsar site. The site is on the list of wetlands of international importance that should be protected. Wetlands that meet the conditions specified in the Ramsar Convention are selected as Ramsar sites.

So what is this Ramsar Convention? Established in Iran's Ramsar in 1971, the Ramsar Convention is an international convention that aims to protect and sustainably use wetlands. Türkiye became a party to the convention in 1993 and Eskikaraağaç village, which is a peninsula in Lake Uluabat, was accepted as a Ramsar area on April 15, 1998, since it is on the European-African bird migration route and is in the breeding area of ​​birds.

On top of that, Eskikaraağaç, on the migration route of storks, was chosen as the European Stork Village in 2011 when it was determined by the European Natural Heritage Foundation that the town was a stork-friendly village and the environmental conditions were suitable.

Storks fly to the village in April and May. Before the end of August, they migrate to warmer countries. They live there for about six months. You should visit the Stork Village before the end of August to observe the storks.

Locals in the area actively protect the storks. Every precaution has been taken to reduce the deaths of storks caused by humans or the environment. The electricity lines are isolated in Eskikaraağaç and nearby villages. Efforts have also been made to reduce the storks' food shortage issues. Nearly 130 stork nests have been built on poles. It is said that every stork family comes to the same nest every year. In fact, every stork family here has a foster family. Under the pillar where the storks have their nests, there are signs with the name of the family who handles the stork family that visits the nest.

Stork observatory

Of course, there is an observatory in Stork Village where you can watch the storks. The number of storks that come to the village and the families that adopt them is recorded inside the observatory. It also has a museum inside. In this museum, you can also get information about other bird species living at the Ramsar site. There is also an observation tower next to the observatory. By climbing the tower, you can watch the storks closely with binoculars. You can even see the famous stork named "Yaren" if you come across it.

Yaren the stork

Do not forget to visit the nest with the sign number 10 in the village. Yaren the stork and her family live here. Their story is the subject of textbooks in Austria and Germany. There is also a documentary and a shadow puppet play based on Yaren's life often performed at a festival in Greece. In fact, the documentary about this incredibly unique story won the "Best Feature Documentary" award at the 2020 Prague Film Awards held in the Czech Republic.

So, let me tell you this story of a friendship between a stork and a man that has garnered so much attention.

Adem Yılmaz, also known as "Uncle Adem," who lives in Eskikaraağaç, has been fishing here for over 15 years. He would fish in Lake Uluabat in the early hours of the morning every day. Eleven years ago, one fine day on an early morning, he again went out fishing. Suddenly, a stork landed in his boat. Uncle Adem thought it was unusual for a stork to come this close to a human being, therefore he fed the stork some fish he caught thinking that she might be hungry. The stork went away after being fed but came back to Uncle Adem's boat the next day. The very next day again, the next day again, the stork continued to come to Uncle Adam's boat every day until she migrated.

That's not where the story ends. Interestingly, she came again the next year. So, days gave way to weeks, and weeks to months, and years, and Uncle Adem has been feeding that stork every spring for exactly 11 years now. Thus, their strong bond of friendship that has formed over a decade is now unbreakable.

It was because of their incredible bond that this year when Uncle Adem could not sail with his boat because of bad weather, Yaren came to his house instead. This time, Uncle Adem hosted the stork Yaren in the garden of his house and fed her.

Now, I am sure that Uncle Adem is waiting anxiously and hoping for spring, like every year, to see if Yaren will come again next year.

After reading about the close friendship of Uncle Adam and Yaren the stork, I think you may wonder more about this incredible stork. If that is so, I have a wonderful surprise for you. For those who want to see Yaren but may be unable to visit the Stork Village, Karacabey Municipality has thought of something wonderful. They have set up a camera system around the nest so that people can watch Yaren the stork and her family all day, every day – just visit "yarenleylek.com. Of course, for this, wait for the time when Yaren and her family are actually in Eskikaraağaç.

If you want to see Yaren in her natural environment and not on the cameras, you can also stop by the village in May or June. In addition, if you come across the International Stork Festival held in these months, the village is lively. By attending the festival, you can watch great concerts, visit exhibitions and participate in activities.

Moreover, by following the signs that welcome you to the Stork Village, you can easily find the Stork Walking Trail created on the shores of Lake Uluabat and take a pleasant walk along the way. You can capture great shots on this road, and maybe you can form a close friendship with a stork too.