Hıdır Bulut returns to Tunceli to revive ancestral seeds

Hıdır Bulut, a mapping engineer who worked in Russia for approximately 20 years, has returned to his hometown in the Güzelpınar village of Tunceli's Nazımiye district. He moved back with his Russian wife, Darina, and their two daughters to pursue a life connected to nature and to revitalize ancestral seed production.

Bulut's primary goal is to raise his children away from digital technology and in a natural environment. As part of this mission, he has successfully begun cultivating ancestral corn seeds that had been stored in a local granary for 30 to 40 years. Despite significant challenges—including pests and damage that left only 37 seeds to sprout out of approximately 10 million—Bulut managed to successfully multiply the ancestral seeds through his continued efforts.

Bulut describes the move as a form of reverse migration, noting that while many people leave the region for large cities, his family has returned to contribute to the local community.