NewsBite

Generous couple shares wedding meal with 4000 Syrian refugees

IT IS the happiest day of their young lives. So why not make it a heartwarming occasion for 4000 starving strangers too?

Supplied Editorial =?UTF-8?Q?Fethullah_=C3=9Cz=C3=BCmc=C3=BCo=C4=9Flu_and_Esra_Polat_fed_4000_Syr?= =?UTF-8?Q?ian_re
Supplied Editorial =?UTF-8?Q?Fethullah_=C3=9Cz=C3=BCmc=C3=BCo=C4=9Flu_and_Esra_Polat_fed_4000_Syr?= =?UTF-8?Q?ian_re

A GENEROUS Turkish couple has invited 4000 strangers to attend their wedding reception — where they doled out food to the hungry partygoers.

The guests were starving Syrian refugees in the southern Turkish city of Kilis, near the Syrian border. Since civil war broke out in Syria four years ago, some two million Syrians have found refuge in Turkey.

The bride and groom, Fethullah Üzümcüoğlu and Esra Polat, personally helped dish out the meals along with assistance from Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody there?). The charity provides aid to millions across the world.

Generous ... The bride and groom share the love on their wedding day by feeding 4000 refugees. Picture: KYM/Twitter
Generous ... The bride and groom share the love on their wedding day by feeding 4000 refugees. Picture: KYM/Twitter

It was the groom’s father, Ali Üzümcüoğlu, who came up with the idea of making the couple’s special day special for those who were doing it tough, too.

Mr Üzümcüoğlu, a volunteer with Kimse Yok Mu told the Independent blog i100, “I thought that sharing a big delicious dinner with our family and friends was unnecessary, knowing that there are so many people in need living next door”.

The family covered part of the costs involved in feeding the refugees that day (how much was contributed is unknown).

When Mr Üzümcüoğlu first proposed the idea, the bride and groom were a little surprised, but they both came around to the idea. They are now hoping that their actions will encourage others to do the same.

“Hopefully this will also give the start for other wedding dinners to be held here with our brothers in Syria,” the groom told local news.

“Seeing the happiness in the eyes of the Syrian refugee children is just priceless. We started our journey to happiness with making others happy and that’s a great feeling,” he said.

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/good-news/generous-couple-shares-wedding-meal-with-4000-syrian-refugees/news-story/795df181904b8d14e703acf351bdc996