Volunteers and some grocery stores are trying to sustain a tradition known as "göz hakkı" by offering free fruit to children who may not have the means to buy it or simply would like to eat some.
Göz hakkı is a form of kindness that was common in Europe up until last century. Roughly translated as "right of the eye," the custom involves offering free food to anyone passing by a fruit orchard, a field with fresh crops or a breakfast, lunch or dinner table. It basically thrives on the notion that people seeing others eating should be free to take a piece of food they coveted. In some parts of Turkey, farmers even hang signs on their orchards, on designated trees, telling strangers to pick fruit for free.
In the western province of Afyon, a supermarket chain recently launched a "right of the eye" stall for children. The prominent stall features a sign offering free fruit, from strawberries and plums to bananas to children. Mehmet Acar, deputy manager of the chain, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday that the practice was exclusive to Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month that is also associated with charity.
"Some people comment on social media that it would encourage children to steal, but I think it is a very good practice. It is good to see children take whatever they want for free," Güven Gürel, a customer, told Demirören News Agency (DHA).
Mahmut Yaman installed a similar stand in his small grocery store in the eastern province of Adıyaman. Lauded by locals, Yaman says he did it to instill the "joy of sharing" in children. "This way, they can learn about sharing with others. Besides, I feel good about cheering them up," he told Ihlas News Agency (IHA) earlier this month.
In the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, a group of volunteers set up a stall in a neigborhood on Wednesday. Like Yaman, Emine Saçak, one of volunteers, says they wanted to teach children the value of sharing.
The tradition is similar to "askıda ekmek" (roughly translated as "bread on a hanger"), which involves giving a free loaf of bread to anyone in need through daily donations of customers to a bakery.