Turkey will smile with social democratic municipalism.

The Social Democratic Municipality Coordination Council (SODEMBEK), which includes prominent figures of social democratic municipalism such as Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, held its first meeting in Ankara.
The council, established under the chairmanship of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel with the main objective of increasing and spreading examples of social municipalism, consists of 14 metropolitan and 4 district mayors. The first meeting took place at the CHP Headquarters under the coordination of CHP Deputy Chairman Gökan Zeybek. In the meeting, which was opened by CHP Chairman Özel, discussions were held not only on social municipal practices but also on the municipalities’ debts to the Social Security Institution (SGK), the activities and problems of local governments, and regulations concerning stray animals, including Law No. 7527 on ‘Amendments to the Animal Protection Law.’
It was stated that meetings discussing the policies to be implemented on the discussed topics would be held regularly to ensure the dissemination of social municipal practices. In the Social Democratic Municipalities Coordination Council, where the Marmara Municipalities Union and Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey also shared their experiences regarding social municipal practices, the members are as follows:
Turkey Union of Municipalities – Ekrem İmamoğlu – Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
Historical Cities Union – Mansur Yavaş – Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality
Marmara Municipalities Union – Mustafa Bozbey – Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality
Healthy Cities Union – Cemil Tugay – Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality
Mediterranean Municipalities Union – Muhittin Böcek – Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality
Zeydan Karalar – Mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality
Vahap Seçer – Mayor of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality
Aegean Municipalities Union – Ferdî Zeyrek – Mayor of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality
Oil Wrestling Organizing Cities Union (YGB) – Ahmet Akın – Mayor of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality
Thrace Municipalities Union – Candan Yüceer – Mayor of Tekirdağ Metropolitan Municipality
Özlem Çerçioğlu – Mayor of Aydın Metropolitan Municipality
Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union – Ahmet Aras – Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality
Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu – Mayor of Denizli Metropolitan Municipality
Council of Europe – Ayşe Ünlüce – Mayor of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality
Central Anatolia Municipalities Union – Fethi Yaşar – Mayor of Yenimahalle Municipality
Eastern Mediterranean Municipalities Union – Ahmet Serkan Tuncer – Mayor of Mezitli Municipality
Istanbul Bosphorus Municipalities Union – Rıza Akpolat – Mayor of Beşiktaş Municipality
Aegean and Marmara Environmental Municipalities Union – Ali Kemal Deveciler – Mayor of Burhaniye Municipality.