Metin Erol (1937-2000) was born in Ankara on 2nd June 1937. He was the son of Ali Erol (1914-1994) who in turn was also the son of Ali Erol (senior) (1860-1926). His family come from Ankara. His father, Ali Erol was from Yuva koyu, a village which is now part of Ankara. His mother, Emine Emek, was originally from Gerede near Bolu. After an earthquake in Gerede she moved to Ankara and married Ali Erol.

Ali Erol Senior was a bit of a womaniser. He had 4 wives one of whom he divorced. He was quite well off and had lands in what is now Ataturk Forest Farm in Ankara. He actually donated the land to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Unfortunately he liked to drink and was a jovial character who spent most of the family inheritance. Anything that was left went towards providing for his youngest child.

His son, Ali Erol junior who inherited a house from him is known to have worked in the Makina Kimya Industry (Firearms Industry) in Ankara and retired on a pension.

Metin Erol had one brother called Cetin Erol who was born in Ankara in 1941. He married Nefise Cit and they had 3 daughters. Metin was a successful businessman and after a short period of time in Germany he returned to Turkey to open up his own machinist workshop and did very well financially. Metin would regularly give money to his parents who used this to support his brother. Cetin Erol would always dress very well but did not want to work very hard and he was also a bit of a drinker. He would actually die from liver disease. The family were fairly close but after Cetin got married he kept changing jobs. He expected Metin to look after him and even open up a business for him which Metin refused to do. After all, Metin was already bringing up a family of his own. The relationship deteriorated after their parents passed away.

Metin Erol would meet Zekiye Ayhan who were introduced to each other through a family friend. They married in 1961 and were living in Diskapi, Ulus in Ankara with Metin’s family. In 1965 the family moved to Yenimahalle and in the 1970s they bought land and built an apartment in Karsiyaka. In the late 70’s the family moved to Bahcelievler for better access to good schools. They purchased an apartment near the Atatürk Mausoleum ( Anıtkabir). This became the family home in Ankara where all the children grew up.

Metin Erol had a basic education in Ankara and worked as an apprentice in the industrial workshops. He gained the necessary engineering certificates and accreditation. He completed his military service in Izmir prior to his marriage.

Metin was a very calm and collected individual. He was patient and he liked to travel and spend time with the family. He particularly enjoyed traditional Turkish music and family barbecues. He would even take the family out during the winter months and cook a feast on a fire whilst the children played in the snow. Metin worked 6 days a week and Sunday was his only day off but he put it to good use and would always spend it with the family. They would also have long summer holidays together.

The business did well and over the years Metin purchased several land plots and a holiday home in Candarli. He also bought two luxury villa homes in Guzelcamli near Kusadasi which the family used during summer holidays. His children would end up getting married and emigrating to England and the USA. He visited England but for the most part everyone would travel to the villa in Guzelcamli for the summer holidays.

Metin died unexpectedly in 2000 due to a brain hemorrhage and is buried in Guzelcamli. The villas are still used by the family. He is sadly missed. You can view the family tree of Metin Erol at Geneanet. Family members can also view the family photo album at Forever.com. For more details on the Erol and Ayhan family history click here.

The Ayhan family originates from Develi, Kayseri. Yağmurbey village near Kayseri is mentioned in the foundation charter of Cafer Bey (1354-1355), one of the Eratna lords. Develi Develi (Everek – the Armenian name ) It is known that the Develi tribe of the Karakeçili tribe of the Kınık tribe of the Oghuzs came and settled here.

Historically, our Ayhan family roots can be found in Develi. This thriving community would later be decimated by the departure of the Armenians and Greeks from Anatolia. The Armenians left in 1915, followed by the Greeks in 1922. Following this there would also be an exodus of locals leaving the town and finding better opportunities in places such as Ankara, especially in the 1950’s.

The family carries the name of Develioglu. They would have originally been tribal nomads of the Anatolia region. There origins can also be traced to the Kozan region near Adana. Around the vicinity of Develi there are the remains of Hitite, Roman, Byzantine and Selcuk civilizations. This small city of Develi nestles in the foothills of Erciyes Dagi (Mountain). This also explains why our family descendents have the surname Erciyes since it was common at the time to use place names as surnames.

In the 1950’s, Haci Mehmet Ayhan and his brother Sukru and their families moved to Ankara to set up a business. Other members of the family would later move to Ankara as they became settled. They lived in Yenimahalle, Ankara. His younger brother, Mustafa Ayhan would join them in the early 1960’s. The rest of the Ayhan family would remain in Kayseri where they were farmers. Descendents of our family still live in Develi.

Our family story in Ankara begins with Zekiye Ayhan and Metin Erol. They were introduced to each other through a family friend. They married in 1961 and were living in Diskapi, Ulus in Ankara. They lived here for 5 years before moving to Yenimalle. In the late 1960’s the family moved to their own house in Yesil Evler, Karsiyaka.

You can see the full family tree here on geneanet. Family members can also view the family photo album on line at Forever.com