Family runs Aegean town for 100 years

İZMİR - Anadolu Agency

The current muhtar (neighborhood head) of İzmir’s Erzene neighborhood, Ayşe Müjgan Pakyürek (R), said her family took up the post in the early 1900s. AA photo

Continuing a tradition that is likely unique in Turkey, a family in an İzmir neighborhood has held the position of “muhtar” for 100 years now.

The current muhtar (neighborhood head) of İzmir’s Erzene neighborhood, Ayşe Müjgan Pakyürek, said her family took up the post in the early 1900s.

Her grandfather, who migrated from Sarajevo and settled down in İzmir, served as muhtar until 1953. After her grandfather’s death in 1953, her father took over the duty until 1998, apart a four-year period when he excluded himself from elections. 

The trust gained by her family among local residents facilitated her family’s successive election to the post for around 100 years, Pakyürek said.

She said she would like to serve as muhtar as long as her health permits, adding that she would like her brother to succeed her.

She also complained about a new electronic system introduced for the purpose of expediting certain bureaucratic processes, saying it hampered face-to-face interaction with locals.