Muhtars from Manisa participated in the ceremonies at Anıtkabir.

Members of the Manisa Yunusemre Mukhtarlar Association participated in the Muhtars’ Day program held at Anıtkabir, experiencing the excitement of being in the presence of Atatürk and meeting with other mukhtars.

Yunusemre Mukhtarlar Association President Bedriye Pehlivan pointed out that the institution of mukhtar has been in existence for 195 years since 1829, stating, “As our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, ‘Mukhtars are the cornerstone of democracy.’ Since its publication in the Official Gazette in 2015, October 19 has been celebrated as Mukhtars’ Day in our country with ceremonies every year. Mukhtars are the first link in the chain of democracy and represent the oldest and best example of local democracy. Our mukhtars are the bridge between our citizens and all state institutions in their neighborhoods or villages. With the declaration of October 19 as Mukhtars’ Day, the mukhtar profession has also taken an important step towards becoming institutionalized, just like other professional organizations that have designated days. This has created significant awareness in the eyes of the citizens. As the Manisa Yunusemre Mukhtarlar Association, we had the opportunity to participate in the ceremonies held in Ankara due to the central ceremony being held a day earlier this year. As the association management, we decided to attend the ceremonies organized at Anıtkabir on Mukhtars’ Day, October 19. Being in the presence of our founder and meeting our mukhtars from many parts of our country excited us a lot.”

Transportation Support from Manisa Metropolitan Municipality
Pehlivan concluded her statement as follows: “On this very important day for the Mukhtar Institution, we thank our Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ferdi Zeyrek for providing our transportation for our journey to Ankara. The mukhtar office is one of our oldest values. I celebrate the day of all our mukhtars who have served from the past to the future, and I remember our mukhtars who have passed away with mercy. I celebrate the October 19 Mukhtars’ Day of all our neighborhood and village mukhtars who carry out the important duty of representing both the nation and the state, and I extend my greetings and love.”