Four International Steps Toward a Global Municipal Governance Vision
Four New Doors Opening from Bornova to the World

Bornova Municipality has taken four major initiatives, ranging from European Union projects and United Nations programs to the Hiroshima-based Mayors for Peace network and the European Cultural Heritage Awards. Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki said, “We are turning Bornova into a city that engages with the world.”

Bornova Municipality has taken four important new steps to strengthen its international cooperation and project capacity. With the decisions approved at the Bornova Municipal Council’s September regular meeting, Bornova has become part of international collaborations covering a wide range of areas, from innovative environmental projects of the European Union and global peace and resilience networks to European cultural heritage platforms and United Nations-supported initiatives focusing on the right of persons with disabilities to work.

These decisions demonstrate a new generation of municipal governance that goes beyond providing services solely within the district’s borders. This approach aims both to bring successful practices from around the world to Bornova and to make Bornova’s values more visible on international platforms.

A European Model for Textile Waste

The first step is the REWEAVE Project, developed under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Grant Programme. Coordinated by the Spanish Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption (CIRCE), the project includes Bornova Municipality, Belkahve A.Ş., and Sun Tekstil A.Ş. as partners from Türkiye.

The project aims to develop an innovative model for the collection, sorting, and repair of textile waste. It seeks to establish a circular, resilient, and socially inclusive textile system in four pilot regions, including Bornova.

Bornova Joins the World’s Cities of Peace

The second major step is the membership process for the Mayors for Peace network, following an invitation from Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi. Operating since 1982, the network works in areas including nuclear disarmament, the creation of safe and resilient cities, the fight against poverty, and the promotion of a culture of peace. Bornova Municipality has decided to submit an application for membership.

Through this membership, Bornova aims to become part of an international network of cities not only in the fields of environmental protection and urban governance, but also around peace, resilience, and shared human values.

Bornova Heritage Takes the European Stage

The third decision will bring Bornova’s historical and cultural heritage to greater visibility at the European level. Bornova Municipality has decided to apply for the European Cultural Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2027, supported by the European Commission and run by Europa Nostra, with the “Bornova Heritage” project.

The necessary process has been initiated to have the Bornova Heritage project evaluated on an international platform. The project aims to carry Bornova’s rich history, archaeological heritage, historic Levantine mansions, and urban memory into the future through an innovative and inclusive digital platform.

International Cooperation for the Right of Persons with Disabilities to Work

The fourth step strengthens the international dimension of Bornova’s social municipal governance approach. Bornova Municipality and Yaşar University’s Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center (YÜKAM) are partners in the ACCESSWATCH project, developed under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Responsible Business, Resilient Civil Society Grant Programme. Bornova City Council participates as an associated partner.

The project aims to identify human rights risks concerning the right of persons with disabilities to work, transform these risks into institutional actions, and establish a sustainable civic monitoring mechanism with the participation of rights holders.