In a remote village in northern Türkiye, an unusually high number of residents are deaf and unable to speak, and the condition is reportedly passed down through generations.
Gökova, a rural neighborhood in Samsun’s Alaçam district, is home to around 20 households. In nearly every home, there is more than one person with hearing and speech disabilities. Local officials say the issue has persisted for decades and appears to affect each new generation.
“Every household has more than one hearing-impaired person,” said Eyüp Tozun, the village head. “This has continued for generations. Even newborns are being born with the same disabilities.”
The village is located about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) from the district center of Alaçam and roughly 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the provincial capital, Samsun. With a population of around 100 to 120, Tozun estimates that nearly half of the residents are affected.
“I believe it’s because of our unhealthy water supply,” Tozun said. “We’ve learned to communicate in sign language as a community, but outsiders often struggle. I have nine siblings – four are disabled. There are hardly any healthy individuals left.”
Residents say the cause of the disabilities remains unclear. While consanguineous marriages are suspected to play a role, some believe environmental factors, such as unsafe drinking water, could also be responsible. No formal scientific study has been conducted to determine the cause.
Satı Tozun, 85, said she has four disabled children, and her child who lives separately has three children who are also deaf. “My sister-in-law’s children are also disabled. This entire village is full of people with disabilities,” she said.
Another resident, Rahmi Çizin, counted 48 people with disabilities in the village. “All of them need care. We don’t even have a proper water supply. We don’t know if this is from consanguineous marriages or the water, but the rate is alarmingly high,” he said.
Ali Tüzün, also a resident, emphasized the economic difficulties many face. “A large part of this village is disabled. It’s hard for them to make a living. They receive some government support, but not enough attention. We’ve all had to adapt to using sign language,” he said.
While the community has found ways to adapt to their circumstances, residents say they urgently need health care support, clean water and further investigation into the root causes of the widespread disabilities.