Hoping to travel around the world, Volkan Kurnazoglu set out from Mersin, Turkey, last year only to get stuck in Bosnia due to the coronavirus crisis and now he sells bracelets on the streets of Sarajevo to survive.
“I departed from Turkey in December last year,” said the 31-year-old, who has been staying on the streets of Bosnia’s capital since January.“ I first went to Albania and then to Montenegro and from there I came to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where I was ‘stuck’ because of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
Kurnazoglu said he likes the people of Sarajevo and Bosnia, adding that he had certain prejudices of the Balkans before seeing it firsthand.
“I set out on a journey to break down those prejudices. When I came here, specifically to Bosnia and Herzegovina, I encountered a much better situation than I had thought. The people don’t expect anything in return when they help you,” he said.
He hopes that the borders with Asian countries will soon open.
“My current plan is to get the cheapest ticket possible and then travel to Asia. I planned this so-called Balkan tour, but it is not possible now due to the overall border situation because of the coronavirus. However, if the borders with Asia are opened, I will fly there and continue my journey,” he said.
He survives in Sarajevo by making bracelets and selling them on Sarajevo's main street.”Thank God I'm doing well and I'm satisfied. I try to survive with the least amount of money. I make bracelets which can be worn on both the wrist and the ankle and I sell them,” he explained.
The best thing about Sarajevo is the people, according to Kurnazoglu.
“I was most impressed by the kindness of the people, and that is the main reason why I would come here again. The other one is that I see here these three large dominant ethnic groups living together. I see their joint life and existence together and I think that the future of these people here could be very bright,” he concluded.
