Bornova Hosts the Regional Meeting of the Union of City Councils of Turkey

The Regional Meeting of the Union of City Councils of Turkey, hosted by Bornova Municipality and Bornova City Council, was held in Bornova under the theme “Rethinking Citizens’ Rights in Changing Cities.” Aiming to make local governance more participatory and effective, the meeting brought together a wide range of participants from politics, media, business, academia, and civil society.

Mayor Eşki: “City councils are the foundation of democratic governance”

In his opening speech, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki emphasized the importance of city councils:

“City councils are the cornerstone of a local governance approach that sees democracy as more than just elections. In Bornova, we aim to build a governance model where every citizen has a voice in every neighborhood and on every street. City councils are our strongest tool to achieve this goal.”

Broad Participation, Strong Dialogue

Prominent attendees included:

• Rıfat Sait, 24th Term İzmir MP and President of the Balkan Strategic Research Center,

• Dr. Süleyman Basa, President of the Turkish Internet Media Association,

• Halil İbrahim Yılmaz, President of Ankara City Council and Vice President of Ankara Chamber of Commerce,

• Ekrem Aslan, Advisor to the Union from Gaziantep.

Before the event, the delegation from the Union of City Councils of Turkey met with İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban and Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki to exchange views on public-local government relations, urban citizenship awareness, and citizen participation.

“We are on the threshold of a new world”

Mürsel Sabancı, Vice President of the Union of City Councils of Turkey, spoke about the contribution of city councils to fostering a culture of civic engagement. Another notable presentation came from attorney Cüneyt Altıparmak, who, in his talk titled “We Are on the Threshold of a New World,” stated that digitalization is not only a technical development but also a profound social transformation. Quoting Cemil Meriç, Altıparmak reminded the audience:

“Every action we take hides the fate of our future lives,” emphasizing how today’s decisions shape tomorrow.

Inspiration from Participatory Practices

Halil İbrahim Yılmaz, President of Ankara City Council, shared practical examples from Ankara, illustrating the results of solution-focused collaboration between councils and municipalities. Bornova City Council President, Attorney Doğan Baran Mengüş, presented local participation tools used in different countries and discussed models that could be adapted for Turkey.

A Shared Vision for Citizen Participation

At the conclusion of the meeting, a common commitment was made to transform city councils into more active, inclusive, and solution-oriented structures. The workshop was recorded as a significant step toward strengthening mechanisms that ensure effective citizen involvement in governance.