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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war

A retired school teacher in the southern Turkish province of Adana is hosting 10 Ukrainians who have fled their country amid the Russian war.

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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war


Tanık told Anadolu Agency that his son Elibal had been in Ukraine since 2009, married, and divorced.

She was concerned for her son following the Russian attacks and said she was trying to get him to return to Turkey as soon as possible.

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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war

"I am hosting 11 people, including my son, in my house now. There are four women and six children," she said, adding that "I am pleased to welcome them as long as I can make them comfortable here until the war is over."

"I hope this war ends soon," she remarked optimistically.

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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war

"Until the war ends, I will do my best to host them in my home," she added.

Meanwhile, Elibal stated that his mother welcomed his guests into her home without hesitation.

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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war

"The people that accompanied me had nowhere to move to Europe ... I knew these people and brought them here because they didn't have anywhere else to go. We will house them at our Adana home until the war is over," he pledged.

Natalia Preyatko, one of the Ukrainians who arrived in Adana with her daughter Maria, said she had no choice but to flee her homeland, leaving behind her husband and relatives.

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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war

Preyatko, 42, expressed her desire while explaining the dire situation in her country, "I'd like for this situation to be over as soon as possible. I wish for a peaceful Ukraine."

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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war

Another displaced Ukrainian, Tatiana Yaromko, stated that most of the country was targeted, and added: "They (Russian forces) are blowing up homes, hospitals, and delivery rooms. It's a terrifying environment."

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Turkish school teacher opens door to 11 Ukrainians fleeing war

"Many thanks to the Republic of Turkey," she said, citing Ankara's role in creating humanitarian corridors for refugees fleeing Russia's shelling and the bombing of Ukraine.

"I want this war to end as soon as possible," Nikita Artyukh, 16, said.