Reminding that Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer is working on a 3-stage metro project for the city, “We will do this work on a route of approximately 13 kilometers in the first stage. We put many projects on hold due to the pandemic and canceled the tenders. We are waiting for the appropriate environment for the subway tender. ”
Mersin Metropolitan Mayor Vahap Seçer was the guest of the "Critical Questions Program", which was broadcast live from the newspaper's social media accounts and moderated by Deniz Olgun. Mayor Seçer talked about the pandemic in the program and the measures they took as Metropolitan Municipality in the new normal process and the services they performed. Seçer stated that they will start to realize the projects put forward before the election and put on hold due to the pandemic.
“We do not have the opportunity to bring tourism to huge points in Mersin”
In the program, Mayor Seçer provided information on many different issues, from the tourism potential of Mersin to the support given to agriculture by the Metropolitan Municipality. Answering the questions about what kind of projects should be implemented in order to bring tourism to the forefront in Mersin, Mayor Seçer said, “To be clear, tourism is a failed field for us. You are looking at Antalya zamAt the moment, a figure of 15-16 million, but here we are hosting 1-1 million 200 thousand guests, foreigners, locals, and tourists. Approximately 135 thousand of these are foreign tourists. These are not important and valuable numbers. These should increase. These are some areas where the central administration will also be involved in the projection, which can be realized with tourism projects. Due to our limited powers, we do not have an opportunity to bring tourism to huge points in Mersin. However, of course, local governments also have work to do. This is the city of history. "It is necessary to restore the historical points, streets and avenues of the city, make them open to tourism and make some zoning arrangements," he said.
“There are great expectations from us”
Stating that he was with the people of Mersin with his practices in many different areas during the pandemic period of the Metropolitan Municipality, Seçer said that the work normally continues. Mayor Seçer said, “Now is the period of realization of the projects we put forward before the election. There are great expectations from us. The city has pending problems, investments, unemployment, some unemployment investments, and they are waiting for moves that will pave the way for investments. On the other hand, the city has a poor and a façade that we started our first projects on social projects. We implemented many innovations in social assistance and social projects in Mersin ”. Stating that Mersin's plan problems are an obstacle to the investments, President Seçer said, “These should be finished as soon as possible, let's open the way for the investments. On the other hand, traffic, transportation, two main problems intertwined for Mersin are for Mersin. ”
“We are waiting for the suitable environment for subway tenders”
Stating that a 3-phase Metro project is also being worked for the city, Seçer said:
“In the first place, we will do this work on a route of approximately 13 kilometers. We put many projects on hold due to the pandemic. We canceled the auctions. There had been an objection to the subway tender before. The tender renewal decision was notified to us. We have done their work right now and we are about to finish. Of course, life needs to be normalized. Because we expect companies from many parts of the world to participate in this tender, we expect a more suitable environment. We also started to purchase new vehicles to increase the number of our city buses in public transportation. We had bought again, the tender was over, completed. We had to cancel. We put them on hold for a while to see the results of this pandemic process and to see us ahead. But we will now realize projects that we have promised to our citizens in many areas from road construction, bridged intersections, infrastructures and cultural centers. ”
“We could not get the authority to borrow in the Assembly”
Answering the questions about whether there is enough support from the government regarding the budget, President Seçer said, “I cannot say that I am in a very good condition. We did not get the authorization to borrow in the past Assembly. In fact, we are having trouble in shallow waters that should not be. Iller Bank is an important financial resource for us. Grants received from international institutions, especially for infrastructure projects, are extremely important. We experience important problems in all of this. There may be periodic troubles. There may be general problems. There are some consequences of the world economic conjuncture before. many to look abroad from Turkey relations issues between the countries, credit, credibility, grant. Issues affecting these financial resources. I cannot say that we are at a very good point. There is an expression; we are roasting with our own oil right now. ”
Mayor Seçer also expressed the difficulties they faced in accessing finance and said, “Public banks do not lend to municipalities. They have not created such a resource until today. I am a mayor in the 15th month. The opportunity to borrow from a public bank has not yet been found. So I can say that we have extremely difficulties in accessing finance. Of course, we are experiencing significant difficulties due to the decrease in our income brought by the pandemic. We called on the Union of Municipalities of Turkey. So that the President can bring us together, listen to our troubles. There has been no return so far. We had previously gathered with the President of the Republic at the mansion. However, this did not continue after that. 30 Metropolitan's zaman zamit needs to be together at the moment. Because our troubles are common. Even if we belong to different political parties, the problems we face do not matter. "We care about being together, talking and positive approach of the central government to us."
President Seçer stated that Mersin has very different ethnic structures, socio-economic communities and people with different expectations, from East to West, and he is fully committed to meet the demands of these differences. zamHe emphasized that they work instantly. Seçer said that he knew Mersin very well and therefore had no problem in the administration.
“You cannot do the job you do not like”
Stating that his political background dates back to his 20s, Seçer said that the Mayor's Office is a very different task than being an MP. Seçer said, “I think the mayoralty is more suitable for me. Because I am a politician from the business world and the private sector. The Mayor's Office is more close to execution, intertwined with the citizen, every street, even every house in the local, should be in contact with people, you planted a tree zamIt is an area where you can see the growth of the moment, see the result of your labor or struggle. Something I do more fondly and with more faith. I add my night to my day. "Where does this energy get from?" Sometimes there are those who ask. You cannot do what you do not like, you cannot be successful. We think we are doing a very sacred job. "When people are happy as a result of the services we provide, when they pray and thank us, it is a great pleasure and happiness for us."
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