Turkish villagers refuse to have TVs
Residents of several remote villages in Turkey's Rize province refuse to have televisions in their homes fearing their presence will damage community relations. A report in the Turkish daily Hurriyet said the only television in the Black Sea village of Senyuva is in a guesthouse for tourists. Residents of villages in the Camlihemsin district in the province follow the daily news on the radio, and prefer to spend their free time chatting, singing folk songs and performing traditional dances, the report said.
Previously, residents of Şenyuva even objected to electricity, collecting signatures and applying to the authorities to keep it out of the village. They said they wanted to continue using gas lamps instead and that electric wires would ruin the natural beauty of the valley. They were only persuaded to accept electricity when it was announced that the wires would be laid underground.