Intermediary Cities Middle East and West Asia (MEWA) Regional Forum took place in Hacı Bektaş Veli University Culture and Congress Center, Nevşehir, which was held in cooperation with UCLG MEWA and Union of Municipalities of Turkey under the auspices of Nevşehir Municipality, in Turkey. Çankaya Municipality also participated in the international forum.

Çankaya also participated in Turkey - Palestine Sister City Workshop held in Avanos, Nevşehir.

Intermediary Cities Middle East and West Asia (MEWA) Regional Forum brought together more than 200 participants, including local government representatives, academics, NGO representatives, local government experts and high-level participants across the world, including Mpho Parks Tau, President of the United Cities and Local Governments World Organization (UCLG) and South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

Speaking at the opening session of the program that addressed the concept of intermediary cities from different thematic areas, President Tau emphasized the importance of intermediary cities and their role on enhancing the quality of life of communities, national economies and international environment. Noting that the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda can be achieved through acquiring a different perspective on urbanization, President Tau put forward a suggestion to leave the conventional differentiation between rural-urban areas, and to make investments aiming to explore the potential of intermediary cities.

During the opening session, Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, pointed out that intermediary cities are the key actors of sustainable development. Indicating that currently 36% of the world urban population lives in intermediary cities, Secretary General Duman stated that in today’s urban system where several other characteristics of cities are taken into consideration besides their physical size, intermediary cities have achieved a different position from the metropolises and smaller cities for reasons other than their scale. He further emphasized that intermediary cities, therefore, have become actors which cannot be ignored for ensuring a balanced and sustainable urbanization.

UCLG-MEWA INTERMEDIARY CITIES DECLARATION WAS PRESENTED FOLLOWING THE CLOSING SESSION

During the two-day Forum, participants were presented with thematic sessions on “Migration Management in Intermediary Cities”, “Contribution of Intermediary Cities to the Overall National Development”, “Branded Intermediary Cities”, and “Localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Intermediary Cities.” During the first session on “Migration Management in Intermediary Cities,” the participants analyzed the function of intermediary cities as buffer zones in the MEWA region, among the most affected by the intensive migration influxes for various reasons. In the second session titled “Contribution of Intermediary Cities to the Overall National Development,” the panelists had a discussion on incentives for intermediary cities and the role of these cities in providing a fair and balanced national development. The third session on “Branded Intermediary Cities” focused on strengthening the sense of belonging in intermediary cities, while also presenting model practices to participants. In the last session of the Forum on “Localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Intermediary Cities,” the panelists reviewed the role of intermediary cities in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and monitoringthis process. In this regard, participants made discussions on the need to increase local awareness and to strengthen institutional capacity within intermediary cities.

Aiming at bringing together the cities of the region and making their voices heard louder within the global agenda, UCLG-MEWA Intermediary Cities Declaration was presented following the closing session, and will serve as an important reference for intermediary cities in this sense.

ÇANKAYA PARTICIPATED IN THE TURKEY - PALESTINE SISTER CITY WORKSHOP HELD IN AVANOS, NEVŞEHİR

“Turkey-Palestine Sister City Workshop” was held in Avanos, Nevşehir, Turkey, by the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (UMT), President of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Development Cooperation and City Diplomacy, with an aim to strengthen the existing sister city relations between municipalities in Turkey and Palestine.

During the workshop, held under the presidency of Hayrettin Güngör, UMT Secretary General, and with the participation of Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, and İsmet İnce, Mayor of Avanos; the participants made discussions on activities that are carried out within the context of existing sister city relations between the two countries, together with challenges and solutions in this regard. In the light of the suggestions offered, the participants decided on establishing sister-city relations between all municipalities in Palestine and Turkey and creating a UMT database for gathering demographic and geographic data of municipalities in Palestine, along with a needs analysis for each. In this respect, Palestinian municipalities will submit backgrounders on their specific dynamics to UMT, to lead a smoother and fast process.

It was stated in the workshop that Çankaya Municipality has been acting to strengthen the relations with the Palestinian municipalities thanks to the projects and events to be jointly organized. The support given by Çankaya Municipality to the project of creating a public library which Ramallah Municipality wanted to establish in the city was also reminded in the workshop. In addition to Çankaya Municipality, which has Goodwill Protocol with Ramallah City of Palestine, Bağcılar, Bayrampaşa, Pendik, Sancaktepe, Ümraniye Municipalities from İstanbul, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, Keçiören and Sincan Municipalities, Konya Metropolitan and Selçuklu Municipalities, Ordu Metropolitan Municipality and Isparta Yalvac Municipality representatives and, from Palestine; Dura Municipality, Gaza Cebaliye Municipality, Gaza Deir Abdullah Municipality, Halhul Municipality, Nablus Municipality, Nusierat Municipality, Refah Municipality representatives attended to the workshop held in Avanos, Nevşehir.

Çankaya Participated in MEWA FORUM

Çankaya Paricipated in Sister City Workshop

Sister City Workshop

Sister City Workshop