Mayor of Alanya, Ozcelik: ‘We have saved 176 tons of fuel in two months’

Alanya Municipality held its June Council Meeting. Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik, who stated that they will inform the public about the previous month before the agenda in the Council for 12 months, said, ‘Compared to the same period last year, we have saved 176 tons of fuel in two months. Besides trying to increase revenue, we also need to reduce expenses, so we are making efforts to protect the public treasury as much as we can.’
Alanya Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik chaired the June Council Meeting of the Municipality. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Mayor Özçelik expressed his condolences for the tragic accident in Kayseri’s Kocasinan District where two pilots were martyred. Mayor Özçelik also wished success to the students who will take the university entrance exam.
“I believe we will show Turkish hospitality” Mayor Özçelik called on tourism professionals, saying, ‘Alanya is a city that has brought itself to today with its agricultural and tourism financial inputs, and we received bad news yesterday regarding Germany’s FTI Tourism Company. It might have been an expected outcome, but it may have slightly lowered our expectations and morale regarding tourism right at the beginning of the season. However, since we are still at the beginning of the tourism season, I believe both our agencies, hotels, and all professionals involved in this business will be able to take measures regarding the issue. We have guests staying in all our hotels. In the past, there have been some unfortunate bankruptcies. I believe that we will show the same hospitality to our guests now. Our guests will complete their holidays in Alanya with the Turkish Hospitality of us Turks.’
“They are our loyal friends” Addressing the proposed law on euthanizing stray dogs in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), Mayor Özçelik said, ‘I love flowers, trees, plants, and animals very much. It was brought up in a few places during my election campaign. I had conversations with animal lovers. I had mentioned that I have 12 dogs and 3 cats of my own. I do not believe that anyone other than God has the authority to take the life of a living being. Whoever gave us life, I believe that they will take our lives back. There is a law in our Assembly that I believe will not pass as it is said. There is a study on euthanizing animals. This is, in my opinion, and I believe according to the beliefs of everyone in this hall, a wrong thing. First on my behalf, then on behalf of our council, I want to say that we do not accept this. They are our loyal friends, instead of leading them to death, I believe that we should all work together to provide them with better living conditions. I believe that anyone in this hall who has a contrary opinion is not present. For this reason, I thank you on your behalf for believing in this idea, and on my behalf for believing in this idea.’
“We will present all reports with their positives and negatives” Mayor Özçelik read two proposals submitted by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) group. Regarding the proposal for the inspection to be carried out by the Third Eye, Mayor Özçelik stated, ‘It is not possible for us to have the inside of the municipality inspected by a third party, but it was our request for the first three months, and our friends, inspectors, will come for the inspection. The inspection of the municipal companies will be completed within a week or ten days. After its inspection and controls, there should be no doubt that we will present all the reports to our Council with all transparency, including their positives and negatives. It is not possible to inspect the past ten years of the municipality itself. The municipality’s own inspection can only be carried out by the Court of Accounts. 2023 was audited. The first three months of 2024 will be audited. When it is completed, the positives and negatives will be disclosed. However, regarding the municipal companies, as you said, we will ‘review’ their processes from the day they were established, using the local term of Alanya.’ He also mentioned the proposal to send the council agenda to the leaders of political parties, saying, ‘We used to give this to all our friends who have a group in the Council. Let’s consider it. I do not think there is any harm in giving it. It can also be sent to the parties of our friends who have a group in the Council.’
“Citizens should refrain from engaging in unauthorized construction” Mayor Özçelik called on the people of Alanya during the Council meeting, saying, ‘We have taken all necessary measures regarding the Feast of Sacrifice and we have preparations for urgent interventions. You expressed your wish for the Directorate of Urban Planning and Control to continue their work on unauthorized and non-compliant structures. I also have a similar wish. Our job is to monitor and inspect. My wish is in a different direction. We need to refrain from unauthorized construction to take care of Alanya, to beautify Alanya. Even though the amount you will gain from having 10, 100, or 500 square meters unauthorized may have an economic benefit, unfortunately, this makes our Alanya ugly, lowers the quality of Alanya, and as a result, we all lose together. My wish is in this direction, and now it is time for all our citizens to refrain from this. Through the Council, I wish for the other side of your wish as well. We will do our best to fight against unauthorized construction. I think I am not wrong in this. Because we all live in Alanya, we all eat the bread of Alanya. Then, we should take care of Alanya.’
“We saved 176 tons of fuel in two months” Mayor Özçelik, who stated that he will inform the public with small updates about the previous month before the agenda in the Council for 12 months, said, ‘We achieved a 28% diesel fuel savings in comparison to April 2024. It makes about 102 tons. Our fuel savings in May reached 19%. It makes about 72 tons. In total, in two months compared to last year, we have saved 176 tons of fuel. Besides trying to increase revenue, we also need to reduce expenses, so we are making efforts to protect the public treasury as much as we can.’ He then mentioned that the group spokespersons made speeches on the agenda in the Council and the Council agenda was discussed. With the proposal of the Municipality’s Directorate of Culture and Social Affairs, the name of the Alanya International Tourism and Art Festival, which has been held since 2000 to promote cultural values, was changed to the Alanya International Culture, Art, and Tourism Festival by unanimous vote.
“Alanya is one of the rare cities in Turkey” Deputy President of the Municipal Council Abdurrahman Açıkalın made a statement, saying, ‘Thank you for the sensitivity towards the Alanya Culture, Tourism, and Art Festival. It was very valuable to be able to organize the 22nd event in Alanya. We are so lucky that we are one of the rare cities in Turkey. It is very important to be a city that can organize over twenty, even over thirty events such as triathlons. We know how much contribution sister city relations will make in terms of tourism, political perspective, and vision. We evaluate the development based on the population, but it is actually a small city with a castle. They have about ten music groups, and they all have art schools and provide education accordingly. They go to all the festivals in Lithuania with these graduates. Therefore, in terms of vision, I think we should better develop these types of events through children. One of the things that honored us there was that our Ambassador Mr. Görkem was very interested. Karaim Turks and Crimean Turks live there. When we talked to the Turks there, they were not forgotten. In 2013, there was a festival that we hosted in Alanya, and they were very proud. They asked for another step to be taken regarding it. They wanted a bigger event, not just sending two people as a representation. Our Ambassador said he is ready to support them in this regard. We have eleven sister cities from five countries, including our Ambassador of Azerbaijan and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic. They really held us in a very special place.’
Sadık Dizdaroğlu, the Mayor’s Advisor, along with Deputy Mayor Hasan Servet Ünlü, shared their impressions of Alanya’s sister city Trakai in Lithuania with the Council members last week. Dizdaroğlu expressed, ‘Sister city trips started in 1993 with Cengiz Bey and continued with additions. We all know how much sister city relations will contribute in terms of tourism, political perspective, and vision. We interpret the city’s development based on the population, but it is actually a small city with a castle. They have shows, lights, and festivals, and despite having a population of about ten thousand, about 150,000 people come to a three-day tourism festival. When we talked to the Mayor there, I asked, ‘What is your dream?’ He said, ‘A city where history and technology come together.’ All the music groups playing there have their own art schools and provide education accordingly. They go to all the festivals in Lithuania with these graduates. Therefore, in terms of vision, I think we should better develop these types of events through children. One of the things that honored us was that our Ambassador Mr. Görkem was very interested. Karaim Turks and Crimean Turks live there. When we talked to the Turks there, they were not forgotten. They asked for another step to be taken regarding it. They wanted a bigger event, not just sending two people as a representation. Our Ambassador said he is ready to support them in this regard. We have eleven sister cities from five countries, including our Ambassador of Azerbaijan and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic. They really held us in a very special place.’
A request for a park from a young visitor Students from Abdurrahman Alaattinoğlu Middle School also attended the Council meeting in the council chamber. At the end of the meeting, Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik invited fifth-grade student Zeynep Serra Gülnaz, who asked for the floor to make a speech. Mayor Özçelik, saying, ‘I will also learn what you want together with you,’ congratulated the girl student, who sat on the council chair due to her courage. Zeynep Serra Gülnaz said, ‘I am proud of our Mayor and Council Members present here. There are many irregular constructions, and we are left with no parks or gardens to play. We cannot play peacefully and freely. We should ‘stop’ this, stop the irregular constructions, and build more parks.’ The speech of the young student received a great applause in the council. Mayor Özçelik said, ‘I thank the future Mayor in front of you, but I hope when you grow up you will not be in the opposition. I also thank your family for raising a child like you.’