Mayor Altay: “I invite our mayors who are in polemics to focus on producing services.”

Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay stated, “Recently, some mayors have become associated with concerts. I suggest, recommend, and even warn our mayors to return to their main agenda. Our job is not to create polemics.”
Speaking at the Stone Building of the Metropolitan Municipality, Mayor Altay evaluated the appointment of trustees to municipalities and the topics currently on the agenda.
Altay reminded that he has presided over international organizations such as the World Municipalities Union and the Turkish World Municipalities Union, and has participated in various meetings regarding municipal governance, local agendas, and cities, especially in many countries including the United Nations. He noted that there have begun to be deep separations between municipalities around the world and those in Turkey, stating, “We are discussing sustainable development goals in the world. We talk about issues such as the elimination of hunger and poverty, reducing the effects of climate change, responsible production and consumption, and quality education.”

“If the mayor’s agenda is not the city, then the municipality’s agenda will not be the city either.”
Mayor Altay pointed out that another agenda for municipalities in Turkey and worldwide is earthquakes, saying, “Our country must live with the reality of earthquakes and take precautions accordingly. The greatest responsibility in this matter falls on the municipalities and local administrators. But unfortunately, in recent days, our mayors in Turkey have started to talk about everything except for municipal governance. We all have political identities. We run as candidates from political parties when elected, but there is a matter that we always emphasize and that our citizens know; after being elected, we take off our badges and wear the Turkish flag because we are now the mayors of everyone. We need to solve the daily problems of every individual living in the city, to enhance the standard of living and quality of life, and we need to establish a future vision for our cities. Of course, we will engage in politics, of course, we will talk, but our main agenda cannot be politics. Because we are city managers. If the mayor’s agenda is not the city, then the municipality’s agenda will not be the city either,” he stated.

“I recommend our mayors to return to their main agenda.”
Mayor Altay continued his remarks by saying, “In recent days, some mayors have become associated with concerts. Wherever there is a polemic issue, they go there and almost try to create political popularity from it. The mayoralty is not a position for career planning. The mayoralty is not a position for personal PR. The mayoralty is a position where you produce services. The mayoralty is a position where you take responsibility for every person living in the city, even for nature, for everything that is alive. Therefore, we are heading towards another agenda right now. This will lead to losses for our cities. That is why I suggest, recommend, and even warn our mayors to return to their main agenda. Our job is not to create polemics. Of course, we will carry out social activities. Of course, we will conduct cultural and artistic activities, but if the big cities in Turkey are only associated with concerts, then there is a problem here. If you are allocating a large part of your resources here, then there is a major problem. From 2021 to 2024, the budget for organization and concerts of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is 5 billion TL. These cause our cities to fall behind. That is why we all need to return to the city agenda together.”

“The mayor must live for the happiness of the people living in the city.”
Emphasizing that one of the most beautiful aspects of democracy is the accountability to the citizens regarding whether the promises made for five years are kept, Mayor Altay said, “You may win elections, what you say may make you popular, and what you say may enable you to plan a personal career, but a mayor is someone who has surpassed the ‘I’ feeling. They must now live for the city. They must live for the happiness of the people living in the city. Most importantly, they must be accountable. Unfortunately, we cannot talk about municipal governance. Unfortunately, we are in a deep polemic. Look at the social media accounts of mayors, go back and see what they have talked about regarding the city, municipal governance, and services. And also see what they have talked about in general politics. Notice this and realize it,” he expressed.

“I invite to the table of municipal governance.”
Stating that all resources are available to provide municipal services, Mayor Altay added, “With the metropolitan law of 2014, metropolitan shares emerged. While Konya receives 100 TL per capita, Istanbul receives 150 TL, Izmir receives 150 TL, and Ankara receives 145 TL. Therefore, when we allocate 10% of our budget to services, it amounts to 10 TL, while in Istanbul it is 15 TL, in Izmir it is 15 TL, and in Ankara it is 14 TL. They say, ‘We are being obstructed for five years.’ It has been 10 months since the elections were held, and the councils are now yours. So, what have you done regarding the earthquake preparedness you promised to do for five years? What have you done regarding social housing? What have you done regarding social supports? But they create an environment where we cannot talk about this at all. That’s why I invite our mayors to the table of municipal governance. Let’s talk about urbanism, let’s discuss the negative impacts of climate change on our cities, let’s talk about where our cities stand in the 2023 sustainable development goals together with the world, and let’s discuss what we are doing about earthquake preparedness and urban transformation, the pain we all feel together. Everyone may have a dream, everyone may have a future plan, but municipal governance cannot be conducted by making all of its agenda statements about this future planning, or by creating polemics to stay relevant on social media. Therefore, I believe that all of our mayors in Turkey need to return to their main agenda.”

“Elected individuals do not have unlimited freedom.”
In his evaluation regarding the recent appointments of trustees to municipalities that have been occupying the national agenda, Mayor Altay stated that they are in favor of democracy and respect the will that comes from the ballot box. He emphasized that everyone should know that elected individuals do not have unlimited freedom, continuing, “You do not have unlimited freedom individually. You must abide by the rules and laws. Can we say, ‘From now on, we will run a red light and stop at green’? We cannot. Because there are rules and laws and there are penalties for them. If you say, ‘I was elected, I am free to do everything from now on. I may be affiliated with terrorism, I may fund terrorism, I may say things that would benefit terrorism,’ no one in the world will allow this. We must use the municipal budget we create with the shares collected from the taxes of 85 million people for the purpose of producing work and services.”

“Why was there no trustee appointed to Izmir, but one is being appointed to Esenyurt? This must be questioned starting from before the elections.”
Reminding that there are nearly 420 municipalities governed by the CHP and 82 by the DEM, Mayor Altay asked, “Why has there not been a trustee appointed to the municipality in Izmir until now? Since 2004, all municipalities in Izmir have been managed by the Republican People’s Party. Why has there been no trustee appointed to Izmir, why is a trustee being appointed to Esenyurt? This must be questioned starting from before the elections. Various bargains before the elections, promises made during the elections, actions expressed after winning the elections, and the resulting situation. From here, they say ‘we are victims, and there is no democracy in Turkey.’ No one should take offense. No one will allow you to support an organization recognized as a terrorist organization by not only Turkey but also the EU and the UN through the position of mayor. Turkey certainly does not allow this,” he explained.

“Such a management understanding is not acceptable.”
Mayor Altay expressed that Turkey needs to quickly return to the agenda of municipal governance, stating, “Our cities lose, Turkey loses. Turkey has reached a very good point in municipal governance. As local administrations, we have the will to do everything. We have the power to do everything. We have financial resources for this. But we cannot use the resources at our disposal for career planning. Furthermore, we cannot use the institutions we lead to express our personal opinions. If you are expressing an opinion on behalf of the Turkish Municipalities Union, you must know that you are speaking on behalf of all municipalities in Turkey. Leave aside other political parties; you cannot make such statements here when there are people from your own political party who think differently on the issue of trustees. If I say something on behalf of the World Municipalities Union or the Turkish World Municipalities Union, I must express the shared opinion of my colleagues there. Otherwise, you cannot say, ‘I am the mayor here, I can say whatever I want.’ Such a democracy does not exist. Such a management understanding does not exist.”

“Let us act with the awareness of the great responsibility we have taken to build the future of our cities.”
Mayor Altay stated that some mayors do not want to discuss municipal governance because they have no efforts to fulfill the promises they made. He said, “They do not want there to be an agenda related to municipal governance. That is why they are constantly in a polemic. They are constantly engaged in other matters. Please come to the table and discuss municipal governance. Please let us act with the awareness of the great responsibility we have taken to build the future of our cities. This is a great sin. If in five years our city is in a worse state than today, it does not matter what individual duty I have taken. Because my responsibility is not my career planning; my responsibility is the future of 2 million 300 thousand people living in Konya. It is the same in all cities. Additionally, Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir are not just the cities of those living there or just of those managing them. Because at some point in our lives, we definitely spend time in these cities. Not just us, but they host millions of tourists. Therefore, I would like to express that our mayors have an opportunity to evaluate the promises and commitments they made during the election period. I want to reiterate that the main duties of our mayors are to serve the city, that our cities need to be well prepared, especially regarding climate change and earthquakes, and that we need to discuss and work together on these issues so that the level of municipal governance in the world can be applicable in our country.