President Aras: Economic conditions are locking people at home.

The President of the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union and Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, Ahmet Aras, stated in a television program he participated in, “People are experiencing a poverty pandemic; there are no restrictions, but economic conditions are keeping them at home.”

During the program, Ahmet Aras talked about the problems of Muğla, the services they have provided and plan to provide, and addressed the issues municipalities have faced recently.

“Citizens have reduced their social spending by 70%”

Ahmet Aras, President of the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union and Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, highlighted the effects of the recent economic crisis on the social lives of the people. President Aras said, “Although Muğla is one of the provinces with a high standard of living, people have cut their social spending by 70%. This means that people can no longer go out, socialize, or participate in cultural events. It is the duty of municipalities to bring people together and connect them with cultural and artistic activities.”

A common problem for all parties

Noting that not only Muğla but also about 116 municipalities he represents are facing the same problems, Ahmet Aras stated, “Municipalities are currently in a deadlock. As the President of the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union, we are aware of the problems of municipalities from all parties. We are struggling with the pandemic, the earthquake, and the economic problems we are experiencing. Unfortunately, during this process, no municipality’s budget has been increased. Especially in tourism cities like Muğla, the population varies greatly between summer and winter. Our population is 1 million in winter and can reach 6-7 million in summer.”

President Aras: “We are creating social spaces for our citizens”

Emphasizing that they have been working with a social municipal understanding since he took office, President Aras stated, “From the moment I took office, we prioritized social areas such as kindergartens, nursing homes, and 100 Age Houses. The job of municipalities is not only roads, water, and sewage. We must create spaces for our citizens to socialize. We provide this as Muğla Metropolitan Municipality.”

Aras: “We have increased social aid in Muğla by 400%”

Referring to the increase in aid for citizens living in Muğla, Aras said, “We are trying to extend a helping hand to everyone in need in Muğla. In this context, we have increased the aid we provide with our Halk Kart (People’s Card). On the other hand, we have made transportation easier for our students by reducing the fare to 1 TL, and we have provided free round-trip opportunities for our retirees. With our dormitories, kindergartens, 100 Age Houses, nursing homes for the elderly, and many other services, we have increased our social aid in Muğla by 400%.”

Muğla continues to fight drought

Commenting on the fact that Muğla is the driest city in the last six months according to the drought map published by the General Directorate of Meteorology, President Aras said, “Muğla is among the top places in terms of extraordinary drought. We are looking for new water sources for this reason. With our dams almost drying up, we are left with only one method, which is our seawater. We are working on seawater desalination systems.”

President Aras: “We need a single signature”

Calling on the necessary authorities for the services they plan to provide, Ahmet Aras, President of the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union and Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, said, “Since all water supply lines in Muğla are old, we want to renew them. For this, we have found a loan of 62 million Euros from the French Development Agency. While all we need is a signature, this signature has not been signed yet.”