THE RIGHTS OF CITIES ARE BEST PROTECTED BY MUNICIPALITIES

The Local Reform Initiative Association organized the Local Reform Meetings panel with the contributions of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality and Eskişehir City Council. Metropolitan Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce, who made the opening speech of the panel, said, We are rapidly advancing towards cities without souls. We cannot see the soul that will carry the past of that city into the future. So, who should protect this soul? Municipalities are the ones who will best protect the rights of cities. Metropolitan municipalities and district municipalities in particular have very important duties in this regard. They should work in harmony so that they can really breathe life into that city.

The 7th Local Reform Meeting was held at the Haller Youth Center with the cooperation of the Local Reform Initiative Association, Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality and Eskişehir City Council. The panel organized with the theme of The Future of Metropolitan Municipality was attended by Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce, CHP Eskişehir Deputy İbrahim Arslan, CHP Eskişehir Provincial Chairman Talat Yalaz, Odunpazarı Mayor Kazım Kurt, Tepebaşı Mayor Ahmet Ataç, Eskişehir City Council Chairman Ahmet Kapanoğlu, Local Initiative Association Chairman Murat Karayalçın, district mayors, bureaucrats and many civil society organization representatives.

In her opening speech, Metropolitan Mayor Ünlüce emphasized that the future of metropolitan municipalities is one of the most important issues of the country. Mayor Ünlüce said, As you know, Türkiye has a tradition of municipalities for nearly 200 years. However, so many laws and regulations have changed within this tradition that today we have the Municipality Law No. 5393. In addition, the Metropolitan Municipality Law enacted later is also in effect. I think the Law No. 6360 enacted in November 2012 will be the subject we will discuss the most today. Cities are becoming lonelier today, they are becoming increasingly obsolete. We are rapidly advancing towards cities without souls. No matter which city we go to, they all look alike now, there is no difference between them. We cannot see the spirit that will carry the past of that city into the future. So, who should protect this spirit? Where should municipalities be in this process? Municipalities are the ones who will best protect the rights of cities. Especially metropolitan municipalities and district municipalities have very important duties in this regard. They should work in harmony so that they can really breathe life into that city. How will the population of cities be determined? How will people live comfortably in these cities? How will they have the right to a good life? Both "How will we protect human rights and the rights of cities? In fact, these are issues that we need to talk about much more often. However, we unfortunately do not find enough opportunities to defend the rights of cities, let alone talk about democracy and our fundamental rights. Therefore, I would like to thank our association, its president, and the board of directors for organizing this meeting today, and for keeping such an important issue on the agenda of both our city and our country."

Başkan Ünlüce, talihsiz bir kaza sonucu hayatını kaybeden Manisa Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı Ferdi Zeyreki de andığı konuşmasında şunları söyledi:

Mayor Ünlüce also commemorated Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who lost his life in an unfortunate accident, and said the following in his speech:

We laid to rest our beloved mayor, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek. Unfortunately, he lost a 3-4 day struggle for life. I have known him for a year and a half. But just as a person loves a brother, I loved him in this process. I cannot pull myself together, I am truly sad. Not only Manisa, but Türkiye has lost a great man. Speaking after Ünlüce, Eskişehir City Council President Ahmet Kapanoğlu said, We are creating a role model as Eskişehir. This model is a model that will be an example for future metropolitan cities. Our Metropolitan Mayor has carried out voluntary work in Eskişehir City Council for years. Our Odunpazarı Mayor is one of the previous term presidents of our City Council. Our Tepebaşı Mayor is one of those who established the Healthy Cities Council units in Türkiye. In Türkiye, where all these beautiful examples are experienced, it is very valuable for us to discuss the future of metropolitan municipalities.

After the opening speeches, the panel was held. Murat Karayalçın, Chairman of the Local Initiative Association, who made the framing speech of the panel, said, Our Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor rightfully mentioned the right to the city, the right to the city. In fact, I believe that this is a part of the new human rights series of the right to the city. Since the Gezi Park incidents in 2013, which in my opinion is the most magnificent example of the right to the city in Türkiye, our mayors have been making efforts to defend the right to the city.

The event, which was held with the theme of The Future of Metropolitan Municipality, was hosted by retired Governor Prof. Dr. Yusuf Erbay, Ankara University retired faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonay Bayramoğlu, and moderated by the Eskişehir Branch President of the Association for Supporting Contemporary Life Sevgi Akmen. The closing speech of the 7th Local Reform Meetings was delivered by Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences faculty member Prof. Dr. Ruşen Keleş, who made evaluations.

The panel ended with answers to questions of interest.