There are 50,370 neighborhood and village mukhtars in Turkey. After the March 31 local elections, debates arose in some segments of society about whether mukhtars should still exist in this era.
Assessing the issue, Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ from the Department of Sociology, stated, “The duties and responsibilities of mukhtars are greater in metropolitan areas.” Dağ added that as neighborhoods where everyone trusts and helps each other, a result of the services brought by mukhtarship, increase, the likelihood of chronic problems in metropolitan areas disappearing will also rise.
There are 50,370 neighborhood and village mukhtars in Turkey. After the March 31 local elections, debates arose in some segments of society about whether mukhtars should still exist in this era.
Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, evaluated the position of mukhtars in a sociological context.
The institution of mukhtarship emerged with the Tanzimat reforms
Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ noted that the institution of mukhtarship in Turkey emerged in the context of the re-regulation of the tradition of meeting the security, justice, and public works needs of villages and neighborhoods through central resources, starting with the Tanzimat reforms. He also explained that mukhtars are expected to provide the necessary connection for the formation of a functional and harmonious integrity between communities and society in Turkey, and to provide services for villages and neighborhoods in Turkey to reach a prosperous level by maintaining their own values in environmental, cultural, economic, and social terms.
Mukhtarships were abolished 100 years ago
Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ also stated that the views that mukhtars are no longer needed in neighborhoods and villages are not new, saying, “Indeed, about a hundred years ago, this institution was abolished in the context of an opinion that municipalities were already performing the duties of mukhtars. However, in practice, due to villages and neighborhoods continuing to establish the necessary service relationship with municipalities under the representation of their own prominent figures, the institution of mukhtarship was re-established shortly thereafter. Therefore, instead of directly dismantling this institution, it is more meaningful to discuss how mukhtarship can become functional and creative. In other words, it is first necessary to consider what regulations could bring the institution of mukhtarship to an effective functioning that serves to increase the welfare of communities by maintaining environmental, individual, and social values.”
Metropolitan areas are a major problem in themselves
Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ, also stating that metropolitan areas in Turkey constitute a major problem in themselves, continued as follows:
“Because today, it is very simple to see that there are islands of identity and class rather than metropolitan areas in this country. In other words, it can be stated that metropolitan areas in Turkey are undergoing spatial segregation based on class and identity differences. Furthermore, in metropolitan areas, there is no spatially accessible, safe, and risk-free opportunity for living, entertainment, rest, and work. Of course, the equivalent of these impossibilities in neighborhoods is of a negative nature.
Today, it is clear that thousands of individuals in neighborhoods within metropolitan areas are trying to lead a life that is economically unproductive, politically powerless, and fragmented in terms of mindset. For this reason, the duties and responsibilities of mukhtars in metropolitan areas are greater. To put it concretely, it is vital for the mukhtars here to engage in intensive service work focused on preserving the natural and historical fabric of the neighborhood, enabling different classes and identities to interact, and seeking employment opportunities.”
What is the role of mukhtars in large cities where neighbors don't know each other?
Highlighting that thousands of people live together in neighborhoods within metropolitan areas, Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ concluded his remarks by saying, “As a result, it is clear that a serious process has emerged where neighborhood residents become isolated, distrust each other, and even fear each other. At this point, it is extremely important for mukhtars to ensure that individuals, families, and communities interact, express themselves freely, and show solidarity with each other. This will make it possible to identify the common problems of the neighborhood and take the necessary steps to solve them. Therefore, with the control and encouragement of municipalities, it is undoubtedly true that as neighborhoods where everyone trusts and helps each other, as a result of the services brought by mukhtarship, increase, the likelihood of these chronic problems in metropolitan areas disappearing will also rise.”