Mother and daughter in a race for neighborhood headman in Kastamonu!

In Kastamonu, a race for neighborhood headman is taking place between a mother and her daughter. 63-year-old Kadriye Mıcık and her 39-year-old daughter Serap Emici, who live in the Saraçlar neighborhood, have become candidates for the elections on March 31. The mother and daughter are conducting their election campaigns in different areas, distributing their brochures and explaining their projects.

Kadriye Mıcık continues her knitting work while campaigning on the streets. On the other hand, Serap Emici is sharing her plans regarding social spaces for young people and various projects with the citizens.

Stating that she has lived in the Saraçlar neighborhood since the day she was born, Serap Emici emphasized that she became a candidate to break the prejudices of men regarding female headmen, noting: "I was born in Kastamonu in 1985. I have resided in the Saraçlar neighborhood since the day I was born. I love sharing and helping people. When someone sends me something and says 'sell this,' if I sell three of them, I buy three for myself as well. Because I know that when this person gives it to me saying 'sell this for me,' they are in need. I set out with this thought. I said that right now I can only touch a few people. If I become the headman, I can help more people. I want to compete in kindness against the other headman candidates."

Stating that she has various projects for young people, Serap Emici said: "If I become the headman, I will open a space where young people can socialize. As the headman, I will buy their tea and coffee. I want to create a space where they can read their books and study in an indoor area, where they will do things themselves and eat themselves. Because I trust young people. I am also waiting for the votes of the young people."

"WE ARE NOT SIDE BY SIDE, BUT WE ARE NOT RIVALS EITHER"

Expressing that she is a rival to her mother in these elections, Serap Emici said: "A few terms ago, I helped and supported my mother in the headman race. My friends also supported her. We worked together for the headmanship. This term, I wanted to be a candidate myself. My mother did not oppose this. We are not side by side, but we are not rivals either. We are rivals, but we are not side by side. We continue our election campaigns in this way. Actually, there is nothing confusing. I don't tell my mother where I go. She asks me, 'my daughter, where did you work today?' I say, 'I sat at home, mother, I didn't go anywhere.' She tricks me, and I trick my mother. I hope we don't run into each other somewhere. Citizens have both good and bad reactions to us. After we announced our candidacy for headman, we made our Kastamonu and even our Saraçlar neighborhood heard everywhere. I say that if we have done this much now, I cannot even believe it myself after becoming the headman, I cannot imagine what else I will do."

Explaining that she was a candidate for headman three terms ago and received 2,800 votes, Kadriye Mıcık said: "It didn't happen that time, but I hope I have hope this time. I continue to work. It seems that the minibus comes to our neighborhood rarely, it comes every 2-3 hours. I hope I will help solve this problem. We have many poor people in our neighborhood. I hope to help them and think about opening a workplace to support them. I thought that a woman's touch should also be felt in our neighborhoods."

SHE BECAME A CANDIDATE TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE YOUTH

Explaining that she is conducting her headmanship campaign with the slogan "If there is someone better than us, it is one of us," mother Mıcık said: "My daughter came and said, 'mother, I want to be a headman candidate too.' I said, 'be one, my daughter.' I received many threats; some headman candidates asked me to withdraw from the election. They said, 'don't be a candidate.' Actually, I was thinking of withdrawing from the headmanship at first, I thought maybe I would have a lot of headaches. I saw that I must be a strong candidate, that's why they are sending me messages. I said I wouldn't withdraw after this. Then my daughter came and said, 'mother, I will be a candidate too.' I said, 'okay my daughter, you be one too, let's compete as mother and daughter.' I am her mother. I hope whichever one of us is for the best, that happens. With God's permission. There isn't much reaction, but sometimes there are those who show reaction. Sometimes they tell me, and sometimes they tell Serap, 'I wish one of you hadn't come out.' I insisted and said I wouldn't take a step back. There are those who ask Serap, 'why did you become a candidate?' and she says, 'I became a candidate to be an example to the youth.' I hope one of us becomes the headman."

Stating that she is hopeful about the elections, Kadriye Mıcık said: "I am not excited at all. I am hopeful about the elections, I hope I become the headman. If God permits, I plan to hold the hands of many people. I worked as a shop assistant for 25 years. I worked in clothing for 25 years. I ran a canteen, I worked in many business sectors. I have always been by the side of poor people. My friends and neighbors encouraged me, saying, 'you can handle the headmanship too.' That's why I became a headman candidate again."

"I WILL KNIT MY KNITTING..."

Expressing that she is both knitting and campaigning for the headmanship, Mıcık included the following statements: "They sent me a message saying, 'let her sit at home, knit her knitting, cook her food, and wait for her husband at home.' I say that I will knit my knitting, I will be the headman, I will cook my food, and I will wait for my husband at home. If God permits, I will handle all of them. Because I am strong. Now, in my neighborhood, I am both knitting and campaigning for the election."