Sterilization efforts for street animals are starting in Yunusemre

Yunusemre Mayor Semih Balaban held a monthly press conference to share the work they have done. Mayor Balaban announced that they are taking action regarding the problem of stray animals and stated that they will start sterilization efforts within a week.

Emphasizing the understanding of transparent municipality, Yunusemre Mayor Semih Balaban hosted members of the press at the meeting held in his office with the participation of his deputies. In his speech, Mayor Balaban expressed that they serve the public without regard to working hours during the summer season. Mayor Semih Balaban stated, “As Yunusemre Municipality, we are making significant efforts using all available resources. Especially, we have successfully continued the summer sports schools that started in the previous term in the best way in 14 branches this year. The neighborhood councils we promised have started operating in many neighborhoods. We held our first meeting led by Atatürk Neighborhood Muhtar Bedir Kılıç and our City Council President Bektaş Kılınç. Neighborhood councils are the biggest elements of direct democracy and the people’s voice in management. We have successfully achieved this. Again, with our identity as educators, we renewed the staff of our branch in Tevfikiye Neighborhood at the Yunusemre Youth Education Center (YEGEM). Above all, we prioritize education. We will also activate the Muradiye YEGEM in September.”

Sports, music, and art are going to the citizens of Yuntdağı

Mayor Balaban conveyed that they have not neglected rural neighborhoods while carrying out all their work, saying: “We have pioneered a first in the summer sports schools. We opened courses in certain neighborhoods of Yuntdağı to ensure that those beautiful children can benefit from these opportunities. Until today, no serious artistic activity has been held in Yuntdağı. We are bringing art and music to Yuntdağı. Our City Orchestra and City Theater perform in rural neighborhoods. We have received great feedback in this regard. We carry out our artistic activities with the facilities of our municipality. We provide hairdressing services by bringing hairdressers to the Yuntdağı neighborhoods. This is a project of my wife, Serap Balaban. This project is one of our well-received initiatives. We provide hairdressing services to women living in rural neighborhoods in the best way.”

Intensive work for Muradiye

Mayor Semih Balaban stated that since the day they took office, they have been working hard to minimize the problems faced by Muradiye, the largest neighborhood in the district. Emphasizing that Muradiye has a higher population than five districts in Manisa, Mayor Balaban said in his speech, “Muradiye is a completely different issue. It has a larger population than five districts in Manisa. We will make the municipal building in Muradiye a service building. Many of our directorates will be here. Those living in Muradiye and Yuntdağı will be able to resolve their issues without coming to the center. This is a great service for this neighborhood. We are currently working on the building. We are also organizing the square. There was a cafe owned by the municipality in Muradiye. The tenant’s contract has expired. We will also gain Muradiye by creating a social facility there. The metropolitan municipality is also working in the neighborhood. We were going to work to open a side road to Muradiye, but we cannot do it because TCDD did not allow the opening of the side road,” he stated.

Free municipal services at Süreyya Nature Park

Mayor Balaban expressed his happiness in opening the Süreyya Nature Park, which he considers one of their most important projects, and stated that they will hold the official opening with the participation of CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel. In his statement regarding the Süreyya Nature Park, Mayor Balaban said, “We opened the Süreyya Nature Park, which is a memory for all of us from our childhood. We have created a phenomenon that does not exist in Turkey. Everything here is free. Our citizens will be able to spend good time here with what they bring from home. This is the best example of people’s municipality. Our general chairman asked us to open the park due to his busy schedule. We will hold the official opening together later. We will host our housewives and retirees here once a week. This is also a directive from our general chairman.”

Free dietitian, physiotherapist, and psychologist services from Yunusemre

Continuing his speech, Semih Balaban provided information about health services that will be available in August, stating, “In August, as a requirement of our people’s, social municipalism, we will offer many services to our people for free. As known, nearly half of the society is at risk of obesity. Although it is a small contribution to the fight against obesity, we will provide free dietitian services. We will also provide physiotherapist and psychologist services. We will do this for free. We will assist our citizens with an appointment system. As a result of our cooperation with the Alzheimer Association, we will open a center in August. This center will also be the location of the association. We will provide free services to our people in this regard,” he said.

Sterilization efforts will begin within a week

Regarding the issue of stray animals, which has recently caused a wide echo across Turkey, Mayor Semih Balaban announced that they will begin sterilization efforts within a week. He pointed out that during the previous ten years, not a single animal was sterilized, and concluded his speech by saying: “Stray animals are an important issue. The stance of the CHP on this issue is clear. The main reason for the growth of this problem is the lack of sterilization of animals. Not a single animal was sterilized in the last ten years. If 5,000 animals were sterilized each year, today 50,000 animals would not be living on the streets. We will start sterilization within a week. We will also open a part of the 117-donum animal living center to service. If you do not sterilize dogs for ten years, you will face this problem today. We will do what is necessary in this regard.”

‘An important investment for Manisa’

At the end of the press conference, responding to journalists’ questions about Chinese automotive giant BYD establishing a factory in Manisa OSB, Mayor Balaban stated, “BYD’s coming to Manisa is a success for both the Republic of Turkey and Manisa OSB. Having it in our district is a separate beauty and chance. Without the positive views of Yunusemre Municipality, this process would not have progressed. We expressed all our positive thoughts without any reservations and supported this project. Yunusemre Municipality was a critical municipality at this point because this was an issue within its own district boundaries. There was a place that was supposed to be allocated to us, and we made all kinds of sacrifices regarding that. The important thing was that this significant investment came to Manisa and Yunusemre. We also played our part in this. The company says, ‘We will start production in 13 months.'”