İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay and Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki held a coordination meeting to evaluate ongoing investments and projects in the district. Visiting Işıkkent Shoemakers’ Site, the two mayors discussed future plans and joint investments that will shape Bornova’s development.

İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay met with Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki and municipal directors to review projects and investments carried out in Bornova. The coordination meeting, held at the Bornova Municipal Council Hall, focused on current collaborative projects and future strategies to enhance urban life in the district.

During the meeting, Mayor Eşki presented a detailed report on road works, urban transformation, environmental arrangements, and industrial area projects. He emphasized that all investments were designed to keep pace with Bornova’s rapid development and to improve the quality of life for residents.

Meeting with Tradespeople at the Shoemakers’ Site

Following the meeting, Mayors Tugay and Eşki visited the Işıkkent Shoemakers’ Site, one of Turkey’s leading centers for footwear production. They were joined by İzmir Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen (İESOB) President Yalçın Ata, İzmir Shoemakers’ Chamber President Süleyman Özcan, and members of the site’s board of directors.

The visit addressed the challenges and improvement proposals of the site, where more than 2,000 businesses operate and a significant portion of the shoes produced are exported to Europe. Mayor Tugay listened to the tradespeople’s requests and shared details about upcoming projects, underlining the site’s strategic importance for İzmir’s economy.

A Recycling Facility for Işıkkent

The mayors also inspected the designated location for a recycling and waste disposal facility to be established on a 6,000-square-meter area in collaboration with İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Providing information about the project, Mayor Eşki stated:

“We will not allow industrial waste to be dumped irregularly. The waste will be collected by our municipal company and disposed of by licensed firms. We will do everything necessary for a cleaner Bornova.”

Eşki: “First Permit, Then Asphalt”

Mayor Ömer Eşki highlighted that the licensing process for industrial and commercial areas in Bornova is being accelerated:

“When I took office, there were 14,000 licensed businesses — today, that number has reached 25,000. We said, ‘First permit, then asphalt.’ We explained this approach clearly to our tradespeople, and together we’ve built a constructive process. They expect service from us, and we want to provide it fairly and in a well-planned manner.”

Mayor Eşki emphasized that the municipality works in full coordination with İzmir Metropolitan Municipality to strengthen Bornova’s production capacity and support registered employment.