Village with 23 voters elects woman muhtar

Sevinç Özalp, a graduate of Anadolu University in Eskişehir, Özalp retired from TRT three years ago and returned to her village with other members of her family upon her father’s bequest. In the March 29 local elections, she competed with her sister-in-law and received 19 of the total 23 votes in the village. "I am happy that I fulfilled my elders’ will and legacy. I will make our village more beautiful through services that will be an example [for others]," Özalp said. Özalp was born in Yarımca, which is also the hometown of her father, mother, and grandfathers. "My late father bequeathed us to process our soil and protect our ties with the village. He provided us with educations and professions," Özalp said. One of her brothers lives in Darende district, which the village is connected to, but Özalp said he was too old and could not pay the necessary attention to the village. "His wife Leyla Özalp became the village muhtar in the last election but she cannot provide the services we expect. Then I decided to be a candidate to revive our grandfathers’ hometown and to bring action to the village. My family supported me as well. Our family members who are retired like me returned to the village too," she said. Özlap said the village has many problems and she would try to solve all by communicating with other local administrators. "My aims include paving the village’s road with asphalt, promoting forestry, protecting the village from mud by spreading stone chips in the streets, re-activating the watering pool and making the 45-year-old village fountain give drinking water again," she said.