"WORKING FOR A STRONGER DEMOCRACY"

Ayşe Ünlüce, Mayor of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality and Head of the Turkish Delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, attended the workshop "Towards a New Local Democracy", organized by the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT) in cooperation with the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Argüden Governance Academy. Speaking at the workshop, Mayor Ünlüce stated: "People feel a sense of belonging when they live in cities governed with a participatory, transparent, and democratic approach. If a citizen introduces themselves in another city as ''being from Eskişehir'' and receives positive reactions, that is the true sign of good municipal governance."

The "Towards a New Local Democracy" workshop, jointly organized by the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and the Argüden Governance Academy, was held at the UMT headquarters with the aim of contributing to the development of local democracy in Türkiye.

Council of Europe Congress Secretary General, Mathieu Mori, also joined the event online. Ayşe Ünlüce, Mayor of Eskişehir and Head of the Turkish Delegation to the Congress, Katrien Partyka, Congress Member of the Council of Europe, and Işıl Kurnaz, Academic and Human Rights Expert at Sant'Anna University. Took part in the panel "Implementation and Protection of Local Democracy in Türkiye, and Innovation for Democracy". The session was moderated by Dr. Şengül Altan Arslan, Deputy Secretary General of UMT.

At the workshop, participants discussed proposals shaped around three fundamental principles: ''Learning and Practicing Democracy, Protecting Democracy, and Innovating for Democracy''.

The program brought together mayors, local government representatives, civil society actors, and other stakeholders to exchange views and experiences on local democracy in Türkiye, aiming to evaluate possible improvements in line with the goals of the New Democratic Pact to ensure more effective, inclusive, and broad-based democratic practices.

Delivering the opening speech of the workshop, UMT Secretary General Suat Yıldız reminded that the world is facing numerous challenges such as wars, geopolitical shifts, democratic backsliding, disinformation, climate crisis, and polarization. He underlined that "Democracy is our first line of defense. Without democracy, it is impossible to sustain peace, justice, and prosperity."

Mayor Ünlüce stated: "To ensure participation at the highest level, we are conducting long-term work with both our internal and external stakeholders. Among our external stakeholders are mukhtars, NGOs, district municipalities, public institutions, universities, and bar associations; and we value the views of our internal stakeholders--our municipal employees--equally. For sound governance, both external demands and internal ideas must be taken into account. With this understanding, we have prepared the ''Eskişehir Civil Participation Strategy and Action Plan'', which we have been working on for two years with contributions from UNDP and the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye. One of the most significant aspects of this plan is the feedback mechanism. Democracy requires not only receiving demands but also explaining why those demands are or are not fulfilled. At Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, we record every request we receive from our 540 mukhtars and citizens, and always provide a response. Even when we cannot fulfill a request, we explain the reasons--whether budgetary, legal, or institutional. This transparent approach builds great public trust."

Mayor Ünlüce also highlighted a new initiative launched this year by the Metropolitan Municipality: "Under the slogan ''Together for Eskişehir with One Idea'' , we initiated a digital participation process by inviting citizens to submit project ideas. Among these, 26 projects were selected through a public vote and included in our 2026 investment program. In this way, citizens became part of the process not only at the idea stage but also in decision-making and implementation. We apply the same transparency to the demands of civil society organizations. By institutionalizing this entire process, we are making Eskişehir a more democratic and participatory city. In this regard, the Council of Europe's ''Excellence in Governance Award'' and ''Democracy Award'' are important indicators that we are on the right path. Transparency, accountability, and continuous communication with citizens are among the key criteria highlighted in these awards. The new understanding of democracy requires governance that is not limited to traditional methods but listens to all living beings, respects the environment, and embraces diversity. With this perspective, we strive to hear the voices of all segments of society--from children and young people to women and seniors, from workers to the unemployed--and ensure their participation in governance processes. Ultimately, the duty of a mayor is not only to be the mayor of their political party but the mayor of the entire city. People feel a sense of belonging when they live in cities governed with a participatory, transparent, and democratic approach. If our citizens introduce themselves in another city as ''being from Eskişehir'' and receive positive reactions, that is the true sign of good municipal governance."