Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB) January Executive Board Meeting was held in North Macedonia hosted by Tetovo Municipality on 29 January 2025 with the participation of local authorities from 5 different countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, TRNC, North Macedonia and Turkey).
The meeting chaired by TDBB and Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay was attended by TDBB Secretary General Fahri Solak, TDBB Executive Board members, Mayor of North Macedonia Kalkandelen Bilal Kasami, General Manager of the Albania Local Governments Institute Agron Haxhimali, Mayor of Bosnia and Herzegovina Novi Grad Semir Efendiç, President of Union of Turkish Cypriot Municipalities Mahmut Özçınar, Mayor of Altınova Yasemin Fazlaca, Mayor of Bağcılar Yasin Yıldız, Mayor of Başiskele (Kocaeli) Mehmet Yasin Özlü, Mayor of Karatay (Konya) Hasan Kılca, Mayor of Pendik Ahmet Cin, Mayor of Selçuklu (Konya) Ahmet Pekyatırmacı, Mayor of Ümraniye (Istanbul) İsmet Yıldırım and Mayor of Zeytinburnu (Istanbul) Ömer Arısoy.
The meeting continued with the briefing of Secretary General of TDBB Fahri Solak on the activities and agenda since the Board of Directors meeting on October 30, 2024 and discussion of the issues on the agenda.
In this framework, within the scope of “Aid to Palestine Project” carried out in cooperation with TDBB and our member municipalities, to carry out a coordinated work with our member municipalities in Palestine on the delivery of the financial support sent and to be sent by our member municipalities to our Union; Organizing an Experience Sharing and Sister Cities Signing Ceremony Program for TDBB Uzbekistan Member Municipalities in Cooperation with TDBB, Uzbekistan Ascension Institution and Turkey Member Municipalities; Signing a Cooperation Protocol between TDBB and Uzbekistan Ministry of Economy and Finance and conducting a study on the execution of “Uzbekistan Cities Master Plan” in cooperation with TDBB and Turkey Member Municipalities within the scope of the Protocol; Supporting the operating expenses of “In the Footsteps of Evliya Çelebi: TDBB will support the operating expenses of the “Ottoman Artifacts Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina” for the year 2025; the Sister City Protocol Signing Ceremony between Konya Metropolitan Municipality and Samarkand Municipality will be held on 10 February 2025 in Konya; the Sister City Protocol Signing Ceremony between Zeytinburnu (Istanbul) Municipality and Nevai (Uzbekistan) Municipality will be held on 12 February 2025 in Istanbul; the Sister City Protocol Signing Ceremony between Pendik (Istanbul) Municipality and Shahrisebz (Uzbekistan) Municipality will be held on 13 February 2025 in Istanbul; TDBB to support the monthly expenses of the student dormitory in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina for the year 2025; to sign a Cooperation Protocol between Palestinian Local Authorities Association (APLA) and TDBB; to carry out the landscaping project of Güzelyurt (TRNC) Municipality in cooperation with Selçuklu Municipality; to provide Participant Support for “Heritage Turquoise Fair and Congress”; to carry out a study for establishing a Sister City relationship between Zeytinburnu (Istanbul) Municipality and Aytmatov (Kyrgyzstan) Municipality; To carry out a study in cooperation with the Members of Turkey for Strengthening Local Governments in the Cities in Syria; to carry out a study together with Konya Metropolitan Municipality for “Establishment of Science Center” in Kalkandelen (North Macedonia) Municipality; and to accept the membership applications of Beğendik (Turkey) Municipality and Aytmatov (Kyrgyzstan) Municipality to TDBB according to Article 5, paragraph c of the Statute.
After the meeting, TDBB Executive Board members visited Mayor of Tetovo Bilal Kasami in his office. The delegation then visited the cultural sites of the city and examined the municipality works on site.
