19-year-old village head aims to bring back youth to his village

In the rural landscape of İbik, a village nestled within the district of İskilip in Çorum, northern Turkey, a young farmer named Hasan Hüseyin Eğri has made headlines by becoming the village head (muhtar) at the age of 19. 

Eğri, who is actively involved in the village's primary occupation of livestock farming, stepped into the political arena during the local elections held on March 31. Competing against three other candidates in a village of 248 voters, Eğri secured the position with 91 votes.

Eğri was motivated by a desire to address the dwindling young population in his village. "I saw that the number of young people in our village was decreasing. I wanted to take responsibility for this issue. My elders supported me, and thus we entered the election and shouldered this responsibility," he told Anadolu Agency (AA).

His victory marks a significant milestone for İbik, which had not seen such a young individual in the role of muhtar before. Eğri's election has been met with positive reactions from the villagers, who appreciate the fresh perspective he brings. "Being young, I received very beautiful reactions from the people in our village. I thank everyone. We will work with determination and show our youthfulness," he expressed.

İbik, characterized as a mountain village, faces infrastructural challenges, including issues with roads and water supply. Eğri has emphasized his commitment to addressing these concerns, highlighting the importance of making the village more livable. "If I can make our village more livable, our villagers in the cities will prefer to stay in our village. That is our hope," he added. (AÖ/VK)