Izmir Metropolitan Crisis Has Been Municipalized

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality started to implement crisis municipalism due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Mayor of Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerHe said, “As İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, we have put our signature under an unprecedented practice in Turkey and put forward a new legislation on crisis municipality”.

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has implemented a new structuring model to find immediate solutions to the health, economic and social problems caused by the coronavirus epidemic. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerA directive was prepared that regulates the working principles of the new management model, which is named as “crisis municipality” by . Minister Tunç Soyermade its first meeting with the Crisis Management Supreme Board over the internet. At the meeting, the extraordinary conditions brought about by the coronavirus were discussed.

Stating that it is aimed to take quick decisions of the municipality, to ensure coordination and cooperation with the relevant units of the state, and to overcome the crisis with the least damage, Tunç Soyer“As İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, we have put our signature under an unprecedented practice in Turkey and put forward a new legislation on crisis municipality. This directive will guide the municipalities trying to produce instant solutions in this crisis environment.”

New task areas appear

Emphasizing that the crisis municipality directive imposes new responsibilities on all municipal units apart from the current functioning. Tunç Soyer“In this period, which we call crisis municipality, everyone will have new duties apart from their own work. For example, logistics comes to the fore in the crisis municipality period. Logistics is not at the forefront of municipal management under normal conditions. Today, it is one of our most basic working areas. Same with health and education. The crisis municipality directive will also enable us to be prepared for this process, which is uncertain when it will end. Although this process is seen as health-related, the crisis will also have economic and social consequences. Municipalities have a lot of work to do on these issues," he said.

President Tunç Soyer After warning all managers and bureaucrats to take an active role in the new period, he said, “We need to break all the rules. We will never set aside our essential municipal duties. When this crisis is over, we will carry out our projects that we have been waiting for without a hitch.”

There are three main boards

According to the crisis municipality directive covering the municipality and its subsidiaries and all subsidiary companies, three main boards were established in order to take decisions and implement them quickly. In the Crisis Management Supreme Board, there will be mayor, general secretary, assistant general secretaries, ESHOT and IZSU general managers, chief advisors if needed, as well as representatives of professional chambers, non-governmental organizations and unions. The Crisis Management Executive Board will include mayor, general secretary and a senior manager. The Science Board will support these two main boards.