A 49-year-old farmer living in the Erdemli district of Türkiye’s southern Mersin is making toy tractors from waste materials and gifting them to children.
Mustafa Ercan, who resides in the Küstülü neighborhood, developed an interest in making toys from a young age. Improving his skills day by day, Ercan started making toy tractors using discarded household items, aluminum containers, spray cans and rubber shoes.
Ercan, who takes great pleasure in creating various toy tractors, gifts them to children and occasionally showcases some of his works in his backyard.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), he explained that he spends his free time making toys and recycling waste materials. He noted that creating something and bringing joy to children makes him feel good.
“I’ve had an interest in tractors since my childhood. I make tractors by repurposing waste materials. I enjoy working with them. So far, I have made over 100 toys. I don’t sell them; I give them as gifts, especially to my nephews, cousins and children who ask me to make toys during holidays,” he explained.
Meliha Aytekin, Mustafa Ercan’s sister, remarked that her brother is very skillful and hopes he achieves even greater success.
Ercan’s nephew, Barış Kökten, wanted to make toys like his uncle.
Ali Issı, the mukhtar of the Küstülü neighborhood, recalled that he grew up in the same village as Ercan and said: “Since our village is rural, it wasn’t possible to access toys. We grew up with the toys Mustafa created from waste materials. Mustafa has a great talent.”
