President Zeyrek described the changes and transformations in the past 6 months.

Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Architect Ferdi Zeyrek emphasized that they have made revolutionary changes in Manisa at the evaluation meeting that included the 6-month activities of the Metropolitan Municipality, attended by CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel. Expressing that he felt the excitement of a student receiving his first report card, Mayor Zeyrek explained the projects implemented in the first 6 months and the future roadmap of Manisa.

The launch meeting covering the 6-month services of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality was held at the Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Fair Center. The meeting was attended by CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel, CHP Manisa Provincial Chairman İlksen Özalper, Manisa MPs Ahmet Vehbi Bakırlıoğlu, Bekir Başevirgen, district mayors from Manisa and neighboring provinces, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Burak Deste, MASKİ General Director Talat Postacı, Assistant Secretaries General, Assistant General Directors of MASKİ, department heads, CHP provincial and district organizations, youth and women’s branches, muhtars, representatives of civil society organizations, and hundreds of citizens from Manisa.

“We are here with the excitement of a student receiving his first report card”

Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Architect Ferdi Zeyrek thanked the citizens of Manisa for their interest in the meeting, which was attended by about 2,500 people. Mayor Zeyrek stated, “In line with our understanding of transparent and accountable municipal management, we regularly explain to our people the services we have provided and will provide. We are literally stepping on the scales of the public. We are receiving report cards. We are here with the excitement of a student receiving his first report card. The elections on March 31, 2024, were a significant turning point in the political history of Turkey. It was a historic move where our tired and hopeless people went to the polls using their last strength and showed their power. The architect of this historic success is our dear brother, my mentor, and our General Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel, who is the true son of Manisa. I sincerely thank him in your presence. Without you, I assure you we could not be here tonight and could not look to the future with hope. There would be neither a map painted red nor a people preserving hope for the future nor municipalities trying to remedy the people’s troubles.”

“We are concerned about the troubles of 1.5 million citizens of Manisa”

Emphasizing that they have achieved a historic success, Mayor Zeyrek continued, “Mr. Chairman: You were the one who ran the most in the elections. You held 106 meetings and traveled thousands of kilometers, and on March 2, you issued us an order in Manisa. Under your leadership and with your invaluable support, we achieved a historic success in Manisa. When such a historic success is achieved, and the responsibilities we undertake become so vital, our responsibilities increase even more. Mr. Chairman; I want you to know that we act every day with this responsibility and awareness. Every morning, as we start the day, we are troubled by the issues of 17 districts, 1,089 neighborhoods, and the 1.5 million citizens of Manisa. I also want you to know that we never forget the responsibility of the child who has to walk barefoot from Demirci to Gördes, and the difficulties they face for every penny we spend and every signature we put down.”

“We work with the excitement of the first day”

Emphasizing that they did not just change a mayor on March 31, Mayor Zeyrek said, “On March 31, we primarily changed a management understanding. We changed the way Manisa Metropolitan Municipality operates, its approach to the public, and its perspective on services. We sat in that chair to implement a fundamental paradigm shift. Imagine a municipality where there is no connection between the mayor and the management team, the management team and the department heads, the department heads and the directors, the directors and the staff, and the staff and the public. Imagine a municipality that always keeps its doors closed to the public but is always open to profit. Imagine a municipality that considers even a sip of water too much for its staff but transfers billions to sports clubs. Again, imagine a municipality that operates not for the welfare, peace, and happiness of 1.5 million citizens of Manisa but for the interests of a handful of rent-seekers. We came to dismantle this understanding. We started on an 18-point deficit and made a 27-point difference. With the power given to us by 507,563 voters who trusted and believed in us, we worked day and night with the excitement of the first day, regardless of whether they voted for us or not, and we will continue to do so.”

“Manisa was using the most expensive water in Turkey”

Mayor Zeyrek stated that they fulfilled the promise made during the election period to the public that “2 tons of water will be 1 TL” and implemented it with the first council decision. Thus, he said, it will contribute 140 million TL to the budget of the citizens of Manisa by the end of the year. He also mentioned that the compulsion of card meters has been lifted, stating, “When I took on this honorable duty, Manisa was using the most expensive water in Turkey. As a citizen of Manisa, I felt the pain. I knew that every citizen of Manisa was suffering from this situation as well. They did not deserve this. At this point, I would also like to provide important information: After we took office, we made the water provided to our Cem Houses free of charge. Because for us, Cem Houses are places of worship. We now provide all kinds of services and support to Cem Houses as we do for our mosques. May they use it well.”

“Public bread will spread to 17 districts”

Mayor Zeyrek announced that the Public Bread project, which is a symbolic application of social municipality, has started to be implemented in Manisa, and the bread is being sold at an affordable price in a healthy way. He stated that the project will expand to all 17 districts in a short time, saying, “We bought our bread from the bakers. Both our tradesmen won, and our people met with healthy bread at a lower price. We will quickly spread the public bread booths that currently serve our citizens at 12 points to all 17 districts.”

Stressing that infrastructure is the foundation of a city, Mayor Zeyrek said, “The stronger your foundation is, the less problematic and more resilient your city is. When I took office, one of the first questions I asked was about the state of the infrastructure. I could not get an answer regarding the status of our water, sewage, and communication infrastructure. I learned that we did not have such an inventory. In 2024, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality did not have an infrastructure map. When a burst occurred or a blockage happened, attempts were made to intervene either by feel or based on the knowledge of a master who knew that line. We immediately started working and began to extract the city’s digital infrastructure map. At the same time, we launched a mobilization for the renewal of infrastructure. We addressed pipelines that had not been renewed for 40 years. We initiated a transformation underground from asbestos pipes to old lines that cause loss and leakage. Starting from our most troubled neighborhoods, we are changing a thousand branches.”

Important development in Muradiye’s giant infrastructure project

Mayor Zeyrek also opened a parenthesis for Muradiye neighborhood in Yunusemre district, stating, “Muradiye is one of the neighborhoods experiencing infrastructure problems. We are facing significant problems caused by unplanned urbanization. Unfortunately, the project to be carried out in this area with the World Bank was left unattended and made no progress for years. The tender process has been delayed by almost 3 years. After we took office, we made great efforts for the realization of this project. We quickly eliminated the wasted, lost time. After an intensive working schedule with the World Bank, we completed all the processes. Our goal is to be on the field next spring, starting infrastructure works and completing them as soon as possible. With an investment cost of approximately 50 million Euros, we will solve the infrastructure problems of Kırkağaç Gelenbe Neighborhood, Karaali, Muradiye neighborhoods, and Gördes.”

Mayor Zeyrek also conveyed the ongoing works in the Soma Regional Heating Systems, saying, “Every year, our citizens in Soma were left in the cold. Therefore, we made an infrastructure investment of 23.5 million TL in the Regional Heating System to ensure that there are no heating problems in Soma during the winter months. Just as I do not want my own children to stay cold on chilly winter days, I absolutely do not want any citizen living in Manisa, including our children, to be cold. We will always make our investments at this point.”

“Not a single village will be left without water”

Mayor Zeyrek stated that they have initiated a comprehensive cleaning mobilization for rivers that have not been cleaned for forty years, which spread odor and disease in Manisa. He expressed that they have implemented cleaning works not only in the city center but also in the riverbeds that feed fields, vineyards, and gardens. Emphasizing equal service to all 17 districts and 1,089 neighborhoods without discrimination, Mayor Zeyrek said, “When we came to office, we saw that 147 of our villages had no water, and they were managing with water supply. We immediately took action and said that not a single village, not a single hamlet would remain waterless. We will provide water even to a village with 10 households.”

He emphasized the importance of water: “If there is no water, there is no life!”

Mayor Zeyrek also highlighted the importance of protecting water resources, stating, “Global warming, climate change, untimely and irregular rainfall are causing our water to decrease. Unfortunately, the water we extracted when we dug in previous years has now been drawn down to 250-300 meters. Moreover, let me remind you that we are not a city that can meet our water needs from dams like many of our provinces. We need to drill deep wells to reach our water. This brings a significant energy cost with it. In 2023, this cost was 380 million TL, and we will pay around 482 million TL for energy costs by the end of 2024. We are making great efforts for the efficient use of water, sustainable planning of water resources, re-evaluating our water consumption habits, and, most importantly, protecting our water basins. Please take care of our water. We held a water workshop for the first time in Manisa. We discussed the water issues of our province and the Gediz basin with 350 distinguished guests composed of scientists, experts in their fields, sector and institution representatives, and academicians. We organized workshops on 10 different themes. We shared our solution proposals under 46 headings with the public. I must emphasize that we need to take care of water, which is our greatest legacy to leave for the future. Let us not forget that if there is no water, there is no life.”

Tests have started in the Tramway Project

Stating that they have taken significant steps in transportation, one of the vital issues in Manisa, Mayor Zeyrek said, “We have addressed the transportation issue, which has become chronic in Manisa. First, we are creating a Transportation Master Plan. We identified our problems. The most important issue is undoubtedly public transport. We have started the feasibility studies for the tramway project as a first step. The tramway project, which was a vision project of my dear Chairman in 2009, is now a significant necessity. We have held the necessary negotiations to meet this need. We have determined the route of the tramway and its stops. Our goal is to start tramway services in Manisa within a few years. Our Metropolitan Municipality has 120 buses and 22 electric vehicles. Public transport is mainly done through cooperatives in our city. Our citizens complain about not receiving services, and the drivers complain about not being able to earn money. While buses are empty in the bus terminals, our citizens are left in distress at the stops. In this regard, we held talks with the representatives of the cooperatives. We promised them 25 million TL support per kilometer each month. This amount will reach 50 million TL in the new year. We will support them; the tradesmen will earn, and our citizens will no longer wait at stops. We will start this support on November 1.”

Mayor Zeyrek also shared an important announcement regarding women in public transportation. Zeyrek said, “I would like to give another piece of good news about transportation. We have made a decision to allow women using public transport throughout the province to get off at any place they wish between 10:00 PM and 12:00 AM, outside of stops. With the transition to rental in the public transport system, we will allow women from Manisa to get off at their desired points after dark without waiting at stops. May it be for the good and auspicious.”

“We carry the public’s signature in the management of the city”

Reminding that they have implemented a paradigm shift in their management understanding, Mayor Zeyrek said, “The foundation of this new management understanding creates a social, participatory, transparent, accountable, auditable, accessible, 24/7 working, producer-friendly, innovative, job-creating, solution-oriented, and happy municipal administration. We value active citizenship and participatory democracy. We strive to find the city’s problems and solution proposals together with stakeholders. With city meetings, we create common sense. We meet with women, youth, children, the elderly, neighbors, tradesmen, producers, and City Councils. We carry the public’s signature in the management of the city. We are completely opening the municipality, which was closed to the public, to the public. We also identify problems and solutions on-site with our district visits every week. During these visits, we meet with muhtars. We listen to the demands, suggestions, and wishes of the neighborhoods and villages directly from the muhtars, thus hearing the voices of each of our citizens. I would like to share that we have completed the first round of visits to all 17 districts.”

Mayor Zeyrek provided the following information regarding the social municipality works: “There is a reality called CHP Municipalism in our country. At the core of people’s municipalism, there is a social municipal understanding. Unfortunately, however, Manisa had been deprived of social municipalism. We have implemented a dignified, rights-based social municipal understanding. We launched the Mother Card application. We provide free transportation to needy mothers with children aged 0-5. We have implemented the Welcome Baby application. When families apply, we deliver all the necessary products for all newborn babies to their homes free of charge, regardless of need. In a time when education is so costly, we have so far provided 2,400 students with bags and stationery support to alleviate the burden on families. We have increased the number of our Yuvamız Manisa nurseries to 4. 270 of our students benefit from our nurseries at one-third of the market price. God willing, we will open the fifth one in Alaşehir. We provide the medical supplies needed by our disabled citizens. We deliver all the materials that disabled citizens need, from electric wheelchairs to wheelchairs. We distribute ‘Good Morning Soup’ to our students. We reach 10,000 students with hot soup each week.”

Mayor Zeyrek stated that they have implemented the City Restaurant, which is the best example of people’s municipalism in Manisa, and said, “We have started working to open in Turgutlu, Soma, Salihli, and Akhisar. We offer 4 types of meals to our people at a symbolic price of 50 TL. I would like to remind you that there is also the ‘Meal on Hold’ application here. Together with the City Restaurant, we have also implemented the Public Dairy. Here, we buy products from producers at almost 50% above market prices and deliver them to our people at 25-30% lower prices. In this way, while supporting our producers, we also offer our people the opportunity to buy healthier, higher-quality products. Let it not be forgotten that we are not competing with our tradesmen. In this economic crisis environment, we are trying to give our people a little breath.”

Providing information about the works to relieve city traffic, Mayor Zeyrek said, “We had a parking problem in the city of Manisa; we are starting to solve it. We are opening the Malta Underground Parking in Şehzadeler, one of the most troubled areas, before the year ends. We requested from the Ministry of National Education to renovate the schools inside Manisa High School and the Industrial Vocational School and build a parking lot underneath. Along with their approval, we will provide our city with 2 more parking lots. We prioritized the construction of the Organized Industrial Zone Junction, which the previous administration only laid the foundation for, among our priority works. On the first Republic Day of our second century, we will open our junction, which we named ‘Republic,’ on October 29. We have a viaduct project near Muradiye and the State Hospital. Unfortunately, our village and field roads have been a headache for our producers. In the first 6 months, we laid 48,000 square meters of paving stones, 22,000 tons of hot asphalt, and more than 200 kilometers of surface treatment roads. We provide at least 5,000 square meters of paving stones free of charge to all our districts every month. We are starting to build the prestige streets of the neglected areas in our districts for years. In the Cider road, which has not been resolved for 18 years, infrastructure works are nearing completion. After completing the demolitions, we will start the construction of the one-kilometer section.”

Mayor Zeyrek also reminded that Manisa faced a tough test this year due to forest fires, stating, “Despite our limited resources, our Fire Department employees intervened in fires with great dedication, day and night, at the risk of their lives, even at the cost of going hungry and thirsty. Our friends responded not only to fires in Manisa but also rushed to the fires in other provinces where help was needed. We allocated resources in our 2025 budget for the renewal of firefighting equipment. We intervened in fires as quickly as possible and extinguished them; however, our job did not end there. We provided financial and in-kind support to producers affected by the fires. We are building new houses in place of the burned ones. We are repairing the damaged houses of those who were harmed by the fire and requested repairs. Natural disasters such as fires, earthquakes, floods, and inundations are unfortunately the reality for all of us. We must make our cities resilient considering these truths. We have started working for a people-oriented urban transformation, not a profit-oriented one. We are implementing our zoning plans with an environmentally friendly understanding that considers both the present and future Manisa, resistant to all kinds of natural disasters and suitable for social fabric.”

Stating that they ensured that citizens are not crushed by inflation in the Spilkent project, Mayor Zeyrek said, “We have also re-addressed the Spilkent Mass Housing Project, which was announced before us, demand was gathered, but the foundation was never laid, and could have crushed our citizens under inflation. By offering very affordable, fixed installment options to our people, we have ended the annual inflation rate increases and provided the opportunity to own a home with a fixed payment plan. Those who buy houses from us now know today what their installment will be after 4 years, 5 years. I wish all citizens who have gained the right in the draw good luck in advance. May they live happily in their homes.”

Digital transformation in Manisa

Expressing that they have established the technological infrastructure from scratch while designing the future of Manisa, Mayor Zeyrek said, “With the Manisa For Emergency application, we enable our citizens to quickly report their locations during natural disasters or accidents. With our Manisa For Internet application, we provide free internet to 400 villages. Thus, our people can benefit from technology, and our students can access the information and data they need. Besides bringing internet to the villages, we have also launched a free online tutoring application. Students in need and those who cannot come to the district centers from rural areas can continue their education through this application. We have also digitized our municipal services with the e-municipality application. Our citizens can carry out municipal transactions online from their homes or workplaces without going to municipal service buildings. We are also launching the Manisa For Traffic application. Our citizens will be able to see the traffic density of the city before they leave and minimize the time spent in traffic with real-time notifications. In the coming days, we will also implement applications such as Manisa Bazaar, Aybis-Yabis, Disaster Notification System, My Child is Safe, Manisa for Agriculture, Early Warning System, and Super App. Thus, our lives will be easier. I am happy about this.”

“We will neuter, we will rehome, but we will never kill!”

Addressing the issue of stray animals, Mayor Zeyrek said, “The issue of stray animals pains us all. We established a Stray Animals Commission. We brought together the Veterinarians’ Chamber, animal welfare associations, and the municipality at one table. We produced solutions with common sense. We have launched a Neutering and Rehoming Mobilization. We neuter stray animals delivered to us by district municipalities and then rehome them. We provide food support for the first 6 months to neighbors who adopt animals from our shelters. We perform internal and external parasite and rabies vaccinations for the first year. We provide pet training courses. We assist our citizens through our support line. We provide leashes, food, water bowls, and beds as gifts. We will neuter animals, we will rehome them, but we will never kill them. We opened a pet grooming service in our shelter. We are also starting the Mobile Animal Care and Treatment Vehicle (Vetbus) project for settlements with populations below 25,000, which are hard to reach. Soon, we will also establish neutering stations in our districts with populations under 25,000.”

Expressing that they prioritize public health above all, Mayor Zeyrek stated, “At this point, we provide home care services to citizens with disabilities, the elderly, and those with movement restrictions. We meet all their needs, from health screening to hairdressing services. In January, our first Oral and Dental Health Care Bus will hit the road. We will provide free services, especially in rural areas. We will also provide dental health care training to our children. When we took office, we saw that the previous administration charged citizens who took their deceased outside Manisa per kilometer. Demanding money from our neighbors in their most painful days was neither humane nor conscientious! We immediately ended this practice and now provide this service free of charge to bereaved families.”

Mayor Zeyrek indicated that despite the fertile lands of Manisa, producers are struggling with economic difficulties, and the municipality is providing support to resolve this issue. Zeyrek said, “Our producers feel alone, neglected, and abandoned. But they are no longer alone. As Manisa Metropolitan Municipality, we do not leave our producers alone. We are creating our product pattern map. We are transitioning to planned, programmed production. To support this, we are also creating our underground water map. We guide, promote, and support production based on the amount of water and the water needs. We will work with cooperatives to ensure that products do not remain in the fields. To prevent wild irrigation, we are transitioning to drip and closed-loop irrigation. In just 6 months, we have provided over 21 million TL in drip irrigation support. We are providing agricultural irrigation tanks of 100 tons and 200 tons. We are also creating 81 agricultural filling stations. We have started working to use treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation. We do not leave producers affected by disasters alone. In addition to financial support, we also provide seedling and material support. We also provide seed support for barley, wheat, fodder crops, and milk thistle. The Public Market truck will sell products produced in women’s cooperatives in towns, villages, and districts. Our farmers just need to produce. We will always be by their side.”

Mayor Zeyrek stated that they conducted 90% of all auctions openly and spoke about transparent management: “After taking office, we established an inspection board with a very reputable team of experts in the field. This board examined the previous term. During this period, we reviewed hundreds of files and submitted dozens of them to the relevant authorities for examination. I want to ensure that millions of lira are not taken as petty cash again. I want to ensure that no one receives compensation for work that has not been done. I want to prevent the tender for a project whose foundation has been laid from being conducted later. This board works day and night. Because in every penny entrusted to us by our people, there is a right of the needy, the poor, and the orphan. I say once again from here; there is now a people’s municipality in Manisa, not a rent-seeking one. There is a municipal understanding that spends the people’s money for the people! We regularly publish our monthly financial reports on our website. We live stream our tenders. 90% of our tenders are conducted as open tenders. This figure’s average in Turkey is approximately 60%, according to the latest Public Procurement Authority’s Public Procurement Monitoring Report. We are not afraid, shy, or give up being audited, being accountable, and being transparent.”

Mayor Zeyrek stated that they are working to make Manisa the city of art and festivals, saying, “Dear Edip Cansever says, ‘To laugh is to laugh when a nation laughs.’ This is also my personal philosophy of life. Therefore, we are working for a Manisa that is friendly to youth, women, children, and students. We see our happiness as the happiness and smiles of our people. Besides fundamental municipality, we have also emphasized social and cultural events. I had said, ‘Manisa will be the city of art and festivals.’ We held many concerts, events, and festivals, from the Mesir Festival to the Liberation Week. Moreover, we did not restrict these events to our city center; we offered them for free to our citizens in all 17 districts.”

Adding that they have experienced significant changes in the City Theater, Mayor Zeyrek said, “Our city theater, which we transformed from a ruined, abandoned hall into a brand-new hall, opened its doors to theater lovers with William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ Once again, I thank our esteemed General Chairman and all the friends who contributed to that night.”

Mayor Zeyrek stated that as part of their goal to make Manisa the center of art, the Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory has been established and will start classes in November. He also mentioned that the Manisa Cinema Office has been established, expressing their aim to attract the film industry to Manisa and make it a cinema platform.