The Muhtarlar Day was celebrated in Bandırma.

In Balıkesir’s Bandırma district, October 19th, the Day of Muhtars was celebrated in Republic Square.
The ceremony held in Republic Square began with the laying of wreaths at the Atatürk monument by the muhtars, followed by a moment of silence and the National Anthem. During the ceremony in Republic Square, the event continued with a moment of silence and the National Anthem after the muhtars laid wreaths at the Atatürk Monument.
The ceremony was attended by Bandırma District Governor Engin Aksakal, Mayor Dursun Mirza, President of the Turkey Muhtars Association Bandırma Branch Hüseyin Kocabıyık, President of the Bandırma Muhtars Association Nur Hancıoğlu, representatives of political parties, neighborhood muhtars, NGOs, and citizens.
The speeches regarding the significance and importance of the day were made by the President of the Bandırma Muhtars Association Nur Demir Hancıoğlu and the President of the Turkey Muhtars Association Bandırma Branch Hüseyin Kocabıyık.
On behalf of all muhtars, President Kocabıyık condemned Israel, stating, “Firstly, I condemn and curse the murderer Israel, which brutally killed innocent people in Lebanon, on behalf of all muhtars. I celebrate October 19th, the Day of Muhtars, and greet everyone with love and respect.”
President Hancıoğlu stated, “Being a muhtar means being diligent. It means having an understanding of unlimited service and tolerance. If you possess these qualities, you are a muhtar. It is a great privilege for us Turkish women that Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk granted the right to vote and be elected to Turkish women before many European countries. As an elected Turkish woman, I commemorate Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with respect, love, mercy, and gratitude. I wish success in their future lives to our friends who have served in this institution in the past. Additionally, I remember with mercy and gratitude our muhtars who have passed away and served in this institution. I celebrate the Day of Muhtars on October 19th for all our muhtars and wish them continued success.”
After the official ceremony, Bandırma Mayor Dursun Mirza organized a breakfast meeting at BanBel Holiday Village in Tatlısu, gathering with 55 muhtars for breakfast.
In commemoration of the day, Bandırma Mayor Dursun Mirza said, “Our muhtars were elected by gaining the trust of the neighborhood. It is a noble duty that is the first pillar of democracy. It is the cornerstone of democracy. First of all, I congratulate our elected muhtars. We also have 10 female muhtars in Bandırma, and we are proud of them.
Bandırma District Governor Engin Aksakal stated, “First of all, happy Day of Muhtars to all our muhtars. As the district governorate, we are always by the side of our muhtars. Our aim is to provide the best possible service to the residents of the area we are responsible for. It is to accurately identify the problems in our neighborhoods and effectively provide services in cooperation with the responsible institutions by sharing these issues with them. We must work in harmony with all our institutions.”
After the speeches, Bandırma Mayor Dursun Mirza presented gifts to the muhtars. Finally, the program ended after a group photo was taken.