Ultranationalist group hold man dressed as Santa Claus at gunpoint to protest Christmas celebrations

AYDIN

A group of men from the youth group of the ultranationalist Alperen Hearts protested Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in Turkey by holding a man dressed as Santa Claus at gunpoint on Dec. 28 in the Nazilli district of the western province of Aydın.

The men were dressed in “efe” traditional clothes and danced to the traditional “zeybek” dance, while the locals were watching in shock.      

The provincial head of the Alperen Hearths in Aydın, Burak Yaşar, said they were aiming to “bring people back to their roots.”

“Our purpose is for people to go back to their roots. We are Muslim Turks and have been banner-bearers of Islam for a thousand years. We cannot see why there is such sensitivity for Christian traditions and not for our traditions like Hıdrellez, Nevruz and other religious and national holidays. We organized this protest against Christmas celebrations, reminding people that we should be celebrating our own national holidays instead,” he said.