Change of Leadership at the TDBB October 2026 Board of Directors Meeting

At the meeting, attended by Mustafa Demir, Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality, President of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments, and President of the Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB), handed over his duties as TDBB President to Fırat Görgel, Mayor of Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality.

The final meeting chaired by Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay was attended by the host, Zeytinburnu Mayor Ömer Arısoy; TDBB Secretary General Taha Zahid Özdemir; members of the TDBB Board of Directors; the newly elected TDBB President and Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fırat Görgel; Malatya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Sami Er; Aksaray Mayor Evren Dinçer; Rize Mayor Rahmi Metin; Temraz Tagıyev, President of the Union of City Municipalities of Azerbaijan; Semir Efendić, Mayor of Novi Grad Municipality, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Mahmut Özçınar, President of the Union of Turkish Cypriot Municipalities (KTBB); Abdülhadi Krasniç, Mayor of Mamuşa, Kosovo; Bilall Kasami, Mayor of Tetovo, North Macedonia; Muhammed Sadıeh, President of the Dannieh Union of Municipalities, Lebanon; Batbold Sundui, President of the Association of Local Governments of Mongolia; Bağcılar Mayor Yasin Yıldız; Altındağ (Ankara) Mayor Veysel Tiryaki; Altınova Mayor Yasemin Fazlaca; Bahçelievler Mayor Hakan Bahadır; Başiskele (Kocaeli) Mayor Mehmet Yasin Özlü; Gebze (Kocaeli) Mayor Zinnur Büyükgöz; Karatay (Konya) Mayor Hasan Kılca; Pendik (Istanbul) Mayor Ahmet Cin; Selçuklu (Konya) Mayor Ahmet Pekyatırmacı; Şahinbey (Gaziantep) Mayor Mehmet İhsan Tahmazoğlu; Talas (Kayseri) Mayor Mustafa Yalçın; Ümraniye (Istanbul) Mayor İsmet Yıldırım; Yıldırım (Bursa) Mayor Oktay Yılmaz; Taşköprü (Kastamonu) Mayor Hüseyin Aslan; and Meram Mayor Mustafa Kavuş, a member of the TDBB Supervisory Board.

The meeting continued with a briefing by TDBB Secretary General Taha Zahid Özdemir on the activities carried out since the Board of Directors meeting held on 31 July 2026, followed by discussions on the agenda items.

Within this framework, it was decided to undertake work on the implementation of the “Urban Infrastructure Projects in and Around Kirkuk Citadel”, requested by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), in cooperation with TDBB, TİKA, and member municipalities; and the “Infrastructure and Water Projects in the Gaza Strip”, requested by the Deniz Feneri Association, in cooperation with TDBB, the Deniz Feneri Association, and Konya Metropolitan Municipality. 

It was also decided to undertake work on the implementation of the “Project for the Procurement of an 18-Passenger Minibus for the IUS Wolves Basketball Team Operating within the International University of Sarajevo”, requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, in cooperation with TDBB, Bağcılar Municipality, and member municipalities; and the “Project for Sending Steel/Metal Outdoor Waste Bins to Mamuşa”, requested by Mamuşa Municipality in Kosovo, in cooperation with TDBB and Konya Metropolitan Municipality.

Further decisions included undertaking work to organize online and in-person training programs in Uzbekistan for specialists working at the neighborhood level, delivered by trainers from Türkiye, in cooperation with TDBB, the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan, and member municipalities; and to organize an experience-sharing program for local government officials from Uzbekistan during 2026, in cooperation with TDBB, the Uzbek Ministry, and member municipalities.

It was also decided to undertake work on organizing an experience-sharing program during 2026 for a delegation from Sauran Municipality in Kazakhstan, in cooperation with TDBB and member municipalities; to carry out joint projects and activities in cooperation with the Union of Municipalities of Croatia and the Association of Ukrainian Cities; to establish a sister-city relationship between Akdağmadeni Municipality in Yozgat Province and a suitable municipality in Uzbekistan, under TDBB coordination; to establish a sister-city relationship between Gediz Municipality in Kütahya Province and a suitable municipality among TDBB members, under TDBB coordination; and to establish a sister-city relationship between Nakhchivan Municipality and Rize Municipality, under TDBB coordination.

The Board also decided that TDBB would be represented at the 15th General Assembly Meeting of TURKPA, to be held in Kyrgyzstan on 19–20 October 2026, and that the expenses arising in this context would be covered by the Union’s budget.

Other decisions included undertaking work on the recruitment of a driver to serve in TDBB activities; supporting and participating on behalf of TDBB in the “Turkic States Promotion Days” event planned to take place in Konya in December 2026; and undertaking work on supporting and representing TDBB at the “COP31 – United Nations Climate Change Conference”, scheduled to be held in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026.

New Domestic and International Members of TDBB

At the meeting, it was also decided to approve the membership applications submitted to TDBB by Nakhchivan, Üsküdar, Derecik (Hakkari), and Orta (Çankırı) municipalities, in accordance with Article 5(c) of the Union’s Statute.