Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB) December Administrative Board Meeting was held on 28 December 2016, Wednesday with the participation of local authorities from 6 different countries, hosted by Bağcılar Municipality in Istanbul.
The meeting, under the chairmanship of President of TDBB and also Mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality İbrahim Karaosmanoğlu, was attended by Secretary General of TDBB Fahri Solak, TDBB Administrative Board Members who are Governor of Göyçay (Azerbaijan) Mehdi Selimzade, Mayor of Bağcılar Lokman Çağırıcı, Mayor of Beykoz Yücel Çelikbilek, Kyrgyzstan Local Governments State Agency President Jumagul Egemberdiyeva, Mayor of Nalaikh (Mongolia) Khaan Sharavkhaan, Mayor of Novi Grad (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Semir Efendic, Mayor of Bayrampaşa Atila Aydıner, Mayor of Güzelyurt (TRNC) Mahmut Özçınar, Mayor of Bolu Alaaddin Yılmaz, Mayor of Sancaktepe İsmail Erdem, Mayor of Ümraniye Hasan Can, Mayor of Zeytinburnu Murat Aydın, Mayor of Kartepe Hüseyin Üzülmez, Mayor of Gebze Adnan Köşker, Mayor of Keçiören Mustafa Ak, Mayor of Üsküdar Hilmi Türkmen, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Gorajde Canton Emir Okoviç and Mayor of Hendek İrfan Püsküllü.
Selimzade: “We showed great effort to develop unity and solidarity”
In the beginning of the meeting Mehdi Selimzade, the former President of Azerbaijan Ministry of Justice Local Governments Agency who was assigned as Governor of Göyçay and as a result of this resigned from TDBB Administrative Board Membership, was given a Thanking Plaque. In the farewell speech he made in the meeting he said, “We worked with TDBB in many areas since its establishment. We showed great effort for the development of friendship, solidarity and union. I think we have been successful in this. TDBB has always made beneficial activities for Turkish World and day by day it continues its beneficial organizations by gaining strength.”
Later on the agenda was discussed; the activities that took place since September 2016 Administrative Board meeting and the future organizations were decided.
14 Turkish classes and Cultural Center to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Within this concept, it was decided that 14 Turkish classes to be opened for education in different schools of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Spring Term; the restoration of Gorajde Bridge which was constructed in Ottoman time in Gorajde city of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be made in cooperation with TDBB; the construction of Education and Cultural Center in Glamoç city of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be supported cooperatively by the members of the Union; the start of preparations for TDBB 2017 ‘Member Municipalities Summit’ to be made; support and participation to be provided for “2. International Water and Health Congress” in Antalya between 13 and 17 February 2017 and participation support to be given for “9. Kocaeli International Kids Festival” in Kocaeli between 19 and 24 April 2017.
Visits to Turkistan City and Gagauz Autonomous Region
It was also decided that the organization of a visit to be made to Turkistan city, which is selected as ‘2017 Turkish World Cultural Capital’ as one of Kazakhstan members of the Union; preparation and publication of “Turkic Republics in Turkish Press” to be made on the occasion of 25th anniversary of Independency of Turkic Republics as TDBB Publications; visit to be made to Moldova Gagauz Autonomous Region in 2017 Spring Term; the improvement of Bishkek Atatürk Park to be made cooperatively by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality; support to be given to the delegation who will visit Istanbul between 09 and 14 January 2017 from Kazakhstan’s Cimkent city, sister city of Bağcılar Municipality; the organization of an information and experience sharing program to be made in 2017 for Kyrgyzstan Mayors; support to be given to ‘2nd Yunt Mountain Greased Wrestling” event that will have international participation in Manisa on 9 April 2017 by Yunusemre Municipality, and the publication of “Aleppo in Ottoman Archives” and “Mosul in Ottoman Archives” to be printed as TDBB Publications.
The sister city relations will be activated with a new format
Besides it was decided that the preparations of necessary process to be made for developing and activating sister city relations between member municipalities and becoming sister cities with the municipalities of other countries as well as municipalities in Turkey; and on this occasion the organization of ‘Sister City Workshop’ to be made with the participation of TDBB Turkey Member Municipalities’ Foreign Affairs and Cultural Affairs Directors, and the membership application of Bosnia and Herzegovina Srebrenik Municipality to be accepted.
In addition it was underlined that the activities to develop a common language in Turkish World and to spread Turkish should be supported; the preview of movie, documentary, cartoons and etc which tell the common cultural heritage in member countries of TDBB should also be provided.
Next Administrative Board Meeting will be in Ümraniye
The next meeting of TDBB Administrative Board, which gathers once in three month, will be hosted by Ümraniye Municipality in Istanbul.
28.12.2016
