An isolated village in Turkey, where the majority of residents are deaf-mute, is raising concerns within the scientific community.

The mountainous village of Gökova in Samsun has just 120 inhabitants. However, more than half suffer from disabilities, resulting in sign language becoming the main method of communication, according to the newspaper Hürriyet.

The village mayor, Eyüp Tozn, describes a daily life fully adapted to the residents’ unique needs: “We’ve learned to rely on sign language as a community, but any outsider who comes here finds it difficult to communicate. There are almost no healthy people,” he says characteristically.

Resident Sati Tozun states: “I have four children with disabilities, and one of them has three children of their own — all deaf and mute. My sister-in-law also has children with disabilities.”

Suspicion falls on water pollution – The cause remains unknown

The cause of the high percentage of people with disabilities in the village remains unknown, dividing local opinion. Some speculate that inbreeding is responsible for the high rate of deafness, as marriages between relatives are not uncommon, according to the Daily Mail.

Others, however, place the blame on water pollution that has been present for decades, pointing to the accumulation of elements like arsenic, as well as chemical contamination from industrial waste.

“I don’t believe inbreeding is to blame, but rather the unhealthy water sources,” says Mayor Tozn. Resident Rahmi Cizin adds: “We don’t have access to clean water. The disability rate is very high. Everyone here needs care.”