His popularity rapidly waned in the United Kingdom but apart from Ukraine, outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson still has friends thousands of kilometers away. Residents of Kalfat, where Johnson’s great-grandfather was born, launched a petition on Sunday for the embattled leader to express their support.
Gathering in front of the house where Johnson’s ancestors were born, villagers made a press statement to demonstrate their admiration for him. “We always support Boris Johnson of Çankırı” they say, referring to the north-central province where the village is located.
Speaking on behalf of villagers, Sinan Karaağaç said they were with Johnson like they were with him in the past, before he was elected prime minister. “We know his love for his ancestral homeland as evidenced in his efforts to maintain good ties with Turkey and sincere conversations with our President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan),” he said, referring to a recent NATO summit where two leaders joked during a warm chat and Johnson was heard speaking Turkish briefly.
Though his father visited Kalfat years ago, Johnson has never been to his ancestral hometown but the villagers still await hosting him. “He has been a successful prime minister and we hope he continues this duty,” Karaağaç added.
Boris Johnson traces his roots to Ali Kemal, son of a guild chief from Kalfat who had moved to Istanbul, where his son was born. Ali Kemal, who served as a minister in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, was married to Johnson's great-grandmother in his first marriage. His son Osman later renamed Wilfred and went on to serve as a pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II, is the grandfather of Boris Johnson. Descendants of Ali Kemal from his second marriage, as well as his relatives still live in Turkey. Among them is Selim Kuneralp, grandson of journalist-turned-minister, who served as ambassador and a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official until his retirement in 2015.
