Mayor Eşki: “Where there is oppression, interests have no importance”

Members of the Dura Municipality Council from Palestine visited Bornova Municipality and signed a letter of intent to establish a sister city relationship between the two municipalities. The meeting conveyed strong messages of friendship and solidarity, while Mayor Ömer Eşki emphasized the oppression in Palestine, saying: “If there is oppression, interests should not matter.” The exchange of gifts symbolized goodwill, and the meeting ended with a commitment to close cooperation between the two municipalities.

Bornova Municipality has taken an important step toward developing sister city relations with Dura Municipality in Palestine. During the visit of Dura Council Members Safa Rajaei and Haneen Dudin, a letter of intent was signed, marking a shared will for friendship and cooperation.

“Brotherhood and friendship bring hope to our city”

Dura, with a population of about 140,000, recently became an independent city after separating from Hebron. The delegation highlighted the difficulties faced, particularly in education. Despite limited resources, they shared their efforts to serve their community, including establishing a youth center that prioritizes education and provides continuous learning opportunities.

Council Members Safa Rajaei and Haneen Dudin described the sister city relationship with Bornova as “a source of hope” for their city, saying: “We deeply value our historical ties with Turkey, and we take great pride in Bornova’s friendship.”

A meaningful message from Mayor Eşki: “May such a day come for you as well”

Mayor Ömer Eşki presented the Dura delegation with a statue symbolizing the moment when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk watched the retreat of occupation forces from Belkahve Hill on September 9, the Liberation Day of İzmir. Eşki added an emotional note: “May such a day also come for you.”

“Oppression in Palestine has continued since the history of imperialism”

During the visit, Mayor Eşki also shared his views on politics and foreign affairs, stating:
“The oppression in Palestine did not begin today. The Arabian Peninsula has suffered since it first encountered imperialism. Today, while a massacre is taking place in Palestine, the monarchies of countries like Saudi Arabia are even more shameful than Israel’s oppression. At a time when the entire world is reacting, the fact that some regional countries have not severed relations with Israel will go down in history as a dark stain. We have internalized what is happening in Palestine as a humanitarian issue. It is a great shame that our country is one of the top five nations trading with Israel. Where there is oppression, interests should not matter. For this reason, there are times when we also criticize our own government.”

“Hope for a shared future”

The Palestinian delegation presented Mayor Eşki with a painting symbolizing Palestine’s struggle for freedom. At the end of the visit, a letter of intent was signed, confirming the determination to formalize the sister city relationship in the near future.