RIZE, Turkey
Men in the Sariyer family have not carried out their military service for 200 years, owing to their height which is not tall enough to carry out their military service in Turkey's Rize province.
Craving to carry out his military service, Resul Sariyer, 22, has a height of 175 centimeters - and so overcome his family's bad luck by meeting the necessary height requirements set by the army.
Turks have to be at least 152 centimeters to serve in the army, but the Sariyer family's height oscillates between 90 and 110 cm, which is an obstacle for young men in the family.
After carrying out his military service, he returned to his village in Rize 12 months later, becoming the first Sariyer family member who restored family's patriotic pride.
In Turkey, the length of military service ranges between 6 and 12 months, depending on circumstances of level of education.
The family celebrated this occasion with a festival held in their village, located in the northeast of Rize province, after he fulfilled his duty in the army as a conscript and earned his military certificate.
Many people, including the Sariyer family's relatives, participated in the festival, which was held in the village's local tea shop.
“My grandfather, father and many of our relatives didn’t carry out their military service because of their shortness. They were looking forward to my return from military service,” Resul Sariyer – who can now boast of being the tallest person in the family – told an Anadolu Agency correspondent.
He said he was proud to be the first man in his family in 200 years to carry out his military service.
His mother, Fatma Sariyer, said that she was happy to send her child to the army, "I wondered about him and I prayed for him after he went to do his service."
His brother, Yasar Sariyer, said that he was unable to carry out his service because he was too short.
"It is an amazing thing to wait for my brother to return from his military service," he told the AA correspondent.
The oldest member of the family said the last family member who went to do military service did not return in early 1800s - a time that Ottoman Empire had to fight many wars in three continents.
Since then, the family elder added, no one in the family has carried out their service for 200 years due to the shortness of their height.
Military service is compulsory in Turkey, except for certain cases including physical and mental disorders.
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