Octogenarian tea maker to meet Erdogan

By Hilmi Tunahan Karakaya and Burak Milli

HATAY, Turkey (AA) - A 85-year-old Turkish citizen, who makes tea for soldiers participating in Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin, will be given the honor of meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 1 in southern province of Hatay.

Muhammet Bulut makes tea for soldiers at the Turkey-Syrian border and offered a gift of prayer beads made of olive seeds to Erdogan prior to their meeting; he is set to meet the president during the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's provincial meeting in Hatay.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

A Turkish businessman, Haydar Albayrak went to his home and told Bulut on Friday that Erdogan wants to meet him when he will come to Hatay.

Albayrak said Erdogan was very happy when he had received a gift from Bulut.

The tea maker said that he loves Erdogan very much and prays for him all the time.

Bulut said he would give another set of prayer beads, now 40 years old, to Erdogan as a gift.

"With these beads I went to make pilgrimage twice. And I will give it to our president, another to his wife and the other one to our premier. I hope I will be there with my three beads. These are my small gifts," he said.