Aliye Kanlıkılıç, who left the Kula village of Kırklareli when she was only 6 months old, was elected headman 2 years ago upon the request of the citizens in her village, where she returned years later.
Born in Kula village, Kanlıkılıç's father died in a traffic accident 3 days after his birth. When he was only 6 months old, Kanlıkılıç moved with his mother first to Kocayazı village and then to Istanbul.
58-year-old Kanlıkılıç, who worked in different sectors, management and trade in Istanbul for many years, decided to return to the village where he was born after retiring.
Kanlıkılıç, who settled in his village by having a house built in 2016, carried out the maintenance and repair of the village fountains with his own means.
Drawing attention with his hard work and dedication to the village, Kanlıkılıç became a headman candidate in the 2024 Local Government Elections upon the insistence and demand of the village people.
Kanlıkılıç, who left her two male rivals behind in the elections, won the appreciation of the village residents with her smiling face and services.
"Let them say that a sister Aliye passed away from our village"
Kanlıkılıç told the AA correspondent that he has been longing for his village, where he kept his father's memory alive, since his childhood.
Stating that he never left Kula village during the years he lived in Istanbul, Kanlıkılıç said that he visited the land of his birth at every opportunity.
Emphasizing that he dreamed of spending time in nature and taking photographs with his wife during his retirement period, and that he did not have a duty such as being a headman in his mind, Kanlıkılıç said:
"We got into this job jokingly while wondering if it would be possible or not. I never thought of coming here and becoming a headman. I love taking photographs. I was going to take my camera and go to the forest with my wife, take photos and drink my tea and coffee, but I couldn't do any of these. I also have a love of service. I also love making people happy. I always consult our elders about what we can do."
Kanlıkılıç pointed out that after he was elected as the headman, he first had the village roads opened with a cadastre, and then he started activities to increase the number of female beekeepers in the village.
Stating that he wants to make Kula's name known through beekeeping and make young people love village life, Kanlıkılıç noted that he wants to leave permanent works for his village.
Kanlıkılıç said, "I am a person in love with my village, I love my village very much. When I do something in my village, I want something permanent to remain in my village. After we die, they should tell us well. 'A sister Aliye passed through our village, she came to our village, built these roads, did this to our village.' Let them say " he said.