Şenyuva looking forward to hosting Mexican president

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's question to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his visit to Mexico about the historical arched bridge located in the village of Şenyuva in Rize's Çamlıhemşin district caused a stir in the media. Upon Nieto's question, Erdoğan invited him to Rize, his hometown, by saying, "I hope that one day we will cross that bridge together for peace, humanity and friendship." After Erdoğan's invitation, the village's population is excited to host Nieto. Built in 1696 by the Ottomans, the arched bridge is 20 meters high and 40 meters long and has been the subject of many films and TV series. The villagers expressed their happiness and readiness to welcome presidents Nieto and Erdoğan to their humble village. Bünyamin Karayalçın, one of the locals of the village, said, "We are ready to host the presidents. The news surprised us but made us happy at the same time. It is such a nice thing for a president to know about a bridge in our village." Another villager İsmail Kurtuluş, said that the presidents are welcome to come to Şenyuva. "We would be very happy [to host them]. We will offer them our local dishes such as mıhlama." In his statement, Şenyuva Mayor Atilla Güneren offered insight about the bridge. "This is a 300-year-old bridge that, up until 15 years ago, was actively used. However, following the construction of the road for automobiles, only pedestrians use it now. This is a great honor for our village as well as our country. We are waiting to host the presidents," he said.