Diyarbakır Muhtar Şeyhmus Şirdenli Warns of Rising Divorce Notices

In Bağcılar neighbourhood of Diyarbakır, Turkey's most populated district with 160,136 residents according to 2025 address‑based population data, muhtar Şeyhmus Şirdenli says the number of divorce notifications has surged. He receives roughly 15 divorce notices each day and notes that families often request poverty certificates from the muhtarate to cover legal costs.

Şirdenli says he tries to mediate disputes personally, successfully reconciling some couples, but many cases exceed his capacity. He urges relevant institutions to investigate the underlying causes – such as unemployment and the pressure of a state policy that encourages early marriage – and to develop measures to curb the trend, warning that divorces impose financial burdens on the state and leave children vulnerable.