Located on the banks of the Sakarya River, İnhisar, which was a district until 1970 and then a village, was converted into a town on May 20, 1990. Mehmet Ali Koyundere, who served as the village head for 3 terms, served as the founding president of İnhisar Municipality until the local elections on March 27, 1994. The municipality was managed by Sümer Reyhan in 1994-1999, Hüseyin Ekiz in 1999-2009, İsmail Cambaz in 2009-2014, Ayhan Ödüpek in 2014-2019, and Mehmet Kepez in 2019-2024.
In the latest local elections, Nihal Arslan, a 49-year-old who served as the founding president of the Narinhisar Women’s Initiative Production and Operation Cooperative in 2022, won as the first female mayor of the town with 42.92% of the vote according to unofficial results. Arslan, who received her certificate and started her duties, stated that she aimed to bring works to the town where her late grandfather Mehmet Ali Koyundere served as the village head and mayor.
Stating that she was 15 years old when her grandfather took office as the mayor, Arslan mentions that they even sewed the curtains of the municipality’s establishment. She expresses her happiness and honor in serving as the mayor, and emphasizes that she will devote all her time and efforts to serving the town. Arslan plans to continue the legacy of her grandfather and provide efficient services for the development of the town.
Arslan, who took over the municipality, stated that they would continue their path with an infrastructure and social understanding of municipalism. Speaking about the town’s economy, Arslan mentioned that agricultural production takes place in the town throughout the year including greenhouses. She shared their plans for the establishment of facilities such as pasta, tomato paste, and fruit and vegetable drying, aiming for a productive and growing İnhisar in the coming period.
Arslan also mentioned that they would introduce and market the local products of İnhisar to Turkey and the world, emphasizing the heavy production of “deve dişi nar” (camel tooth pomegranate) in the town. Discussing the town’s touristic values, Arslan highlighted its natural beauties along the banks of the Sakarya River, Ottoman tombs, and historical sites such as Gedikkaya Cave and the tomb of Abdullah Mihal Gazi in Harmanköy. She expressed their intention to promote İnhisar with its historical and natural assets in recent years.
