Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe ISTANBUL, Turkey, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Residents of several remote villages in Turkey's Rize province refuse to have televisions in their homes fearing their presence will damage community relations. A report in the Turkish daily Hurriyet said the only television in the Black Sea village of Senyuva is in a guesthouse for tourists. Advertisement Residents of villages in the Camlihemsin district in the province follow the daily news on the radio, and prefer to spend their free time chatting, singing folk songs and performing traditional dances, the report said. The numbers of houses in the province's villages are restricted to 150 single-story homes, housing close to 500 residents, Hurriyet said. They have also objected to roads being constructed near their homes opting to travel on foot, fearing such infrastructure will cause pollution, the newspaper said. "Not allowing televisions into the valley was the villagers' personal choice, without any ban or pressure," said Atilla Guneri, the Şenyuva village headman. "The villagers do not spend their time in front of televisions like the city-dwellers do. In this way, we continue to live like we used to," Guneri said. "We come together in each other's houses and share our memories. If the weather is nice, we watch the sunset." Advertisement
