The Extraordinary Assembly Meeting of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, held in December 2021, was held under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Mayor Vahap Seçer. President Seçer made some evaluations and announcements in the speeches section of the meeting that is not on the agenda. Making important statements about the support of Halk Kart, Neighborhood Kitchens, 1 Bread, 1 Soup, potatoes and onions, and fuel, President Seçer emphasized that they will lay the foundation of Mersin Metro on January 3 and said, “January 3 will be a new milestone for Mersin.”
"I commemorate all our martyrs with gratitude and wish God's mercy on them all"
Stating that suffering has as important a place as victories in the history of Turkey, President Seçer said, “In the Sarıkamış operation, which took place between December 22, 1914 and January 6, 1915, 60 thousand of our soldiers were frozen and 78 thousand of our soldiers were martyred. I commemorate our soldiers who were martyred in the operation to liberate the lands under Russian occupation with mercy and gratitude. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the martyrdom of Second Lieutenant Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay, who was teaching in the Menemen district of Izmir. We commemorate all our martyrs with gratitude, especially the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who gave their lives in the presence of Ensign Kubilay, the martyr of the revolution who defended our republic until his last breath, and I wish God's mercy on them all."
Mayor Seçer also expressed his condolences to Orhan Arslan, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Councilor and the elder brother of Mut former Mayor Salahattin Arslan, and conveyed his condolences to his family. Seçer wished a speedy recovery to the members of the Assembly, Kerim Şahin and Mustafa Muhammet Gültak, who were treated for their ailments.
“We especially care about the strengthening of our women's cooperatives”
Referring to the World Cooperative Day, President Seçer said:
“Unity, togetherness and solidarity; are important factors that strengthen people in social life. Cooperatives are also an important means of helping people who join forces. Our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk opened the first Agricultural Credit Cooperative in Silifke and joined this cooperative as the first partner. As the Metropolitan Municipality, we are working to ensure that our women and children participate more in social life and production in Gazi Farm, which is the legacy of our Father, and I would like to express here that we will strengthen and increase these efforts. This year, we provided support of approximately 163 million TL with our joint projects developed with 30 cooperatives, chambers and unions in our city. We especially care about the strengthening of our women's cooperatives. With the work we have done with 13 women's cooperatives in our city, we have supported them individually and we will continue to support them. I express that we are ready to support the further development of our cooperatives, which are based on solidarity, serving the society and people, and I congratulate the World Cooperative Day.”
“We distribute potatoes and onions in the neighborhoods where our low-income citizens live”
Emphasizing that the Metropolitan Municipality continues to contribute to the citizens struggling with economic problems and trying to make a living in this process, Mayor Seçer said; “As of yesterday, we have started the distribution of approximately 10 thousand kilograms of products, including 5 kilograms of onions and 5 kilograms of potatoes, in packages of approximately 100 kilograms each, to the homes of families in need, in our disadvantaged neighborhoods, and we will continue to distribute these products. I specifically underline in our 13 districts; We carry out these distributions in the neighborhoods where our low-income citizens live.”
“Every day, we distribute 5 pieces of bread, which we obtain from the bakeries, to our families”
President Seçer reminded that free bread distribution also continues, “These breads are not breads produced by MER-EK. Breads produced by MER-EK, which are approximately 70 thousand per day, are offered to our citizens for 1 TL. In addition, we have the opportunity to distribute 5 thousand pieces of bread, which we obtain from bakeries every day, to our families. We distribute about 3 loaves of bread to each of our families," he said.
President Seçer stated that the vehicles providing "64 Bread 1 Soup" service, which continues at 1 points from the early hours of the morning, also serve in front of the schools, and said, "They continue this distribution for our children in front of primary schools until the evening, and at the points we have created in the areas close to the gates of our state universities." .
Mobile Kitchen Truck will also serve in districts
Reminding that Neighborhood Kitchens at 30 locations have started to serve on weekends as well, Seçer said, “3-course meal delivery for 3 TL will continue 7 days a week. The Mobile Kitchen Truck will continue to serve as a Neighborhood Kitchen in Silifke, Mut, Gülnar, Aydıncık, Bozyazı and Anamur until the end of this month.
Halk Card amounts have been increased by 50%.
President Seçer also made an announcement regarding the Halk Kart service, which 12 families benefit from. Seçer said, “We have decided to increase the amount of cash we load into the accounts of our citizens by 625% by 2022, to a total of 50 million 24 thousand 136 TL. This increase amount will be 200% compared to last year. President Seçer emphasized that they increased the amount of firewood aid they delivered to Halk Card holders from 50 kilograms to 50 kilograms. Seçer also reminded that citizens can buy 75 loaves of bread at once from Public Bread Buffets and they meticulously maintain this practice.
“We are always working hard to move our city forward and raise it”
Expressing that they will celebrate the 27th anniversary of the liberation of Tarsus on 3 December and Mersin's 100th anniversary on 100 January, President Seçer said, “We will experience these two prides within the next week. This is our great honor. This land we live on showed everyone XNUMX years ago that it will never surrender to the occupation. The struggles of our ancestors are a testament to the spirit of independence as part of our national liberation struggle, congratulations. In Tarsus, the cradle of civilizations, and in Mersin, our beautiful city, the pearl of the Mediterranean, people of different faiths and origins have lived in unity and togetherness for years. We are working hard to protect this invaluable heritage, to move our city forward and to raise it in every field. I would also like to state that this is a sense of duty and responsibility towards the next generations. Because the spirit of independence always obliges us to work, produce and leave permanent works for the future.”
“We will open a large event space in Mersin and Tarsus”
Seçer added that they will organize events that include exhibitions, interviews and performances for the 100th anniversary celebration, adding, “We will open a large event space in Tarsus on 25 December and in Mersin on 2 January. 100 years is an important year of celebration for us, a century. We have to do this in accordance with this concept. Along with our exhibitions titled National Struggle, 100 Years and Mersin's Memory, interviews will be held with prominent historians and writers of our city and country. Performances and experience areas in this field will also be open to the public.”
“January 3 will be a new milestone for Mersin”
President Seçer, who added that they will lay the foundation of Mersin Metro and start the rail systems era, on the 100th anniversary of Mersin's liberation, said,
“January 3 will be a new milestone for Mersin; Rail systems period will begin in Mersin. On that day, we will have laid the foundations of the metro, which is of historical importance for Mersin, together with our citizens. I would like to invite all of our citizens and you to our historic events and groundbreaking ceremony. I once again commemorate all our martyrs, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who gave their lives for the sake of this land by fighting for national liberation, with mercy and gratitude.
“I wish with all my heart that the new year will be the year of faith and hope for my city”
Wishing peace and love to prevail all over the world in 2022, President Seçer said, “Unfortunately, the destruction caused by the pandemic continues, but we will enter a new year with new hopes and new expectations. First of all, our wish is that peace, love and tolerance prevail in our country and all over the world, and that our people live in prosperity. I wish with all my heart that the new year will be the year of faith and hope for my city, as we move into the new year from 2021, which we called the year of love and healing last year and we are about to end. We will continue to work tirelessly, without being pessimistic, by believing in the power of our city, always keeping our hopes alive, in the new year and in many more years, happy new year.”
“Highways should carry out the construction of that multi-storey intersection”
When a member of the Assembly brought up the issue of building a multi-storey intersection at Akbelen Junction, President Seçer reminded that the region falls under the responsibility of the Highways; “Akbelen Junction, on the south side of Akbelen Cemetery, urgently requires the construction of a one-story intersection. A project has been worked there before. However, it is a place under the responsibility of the Highways. We have repeatedly stated this in the Parliament before, this is the place where the most urgent regulation needs to be made at the moment. It was also higher than the Immigrant Junction we are currently working with, or it was more prioritized than the Sevgi Kati Junction we built before. The construction of that multi-storey intersection should be carried out by the General Directorate of Highways, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Transport. From here, once again, I request that my friends, especially members of the Assembly, who are members of the People's Alliance, also focus on this issue.”
President Seçer also commemorated the citizens killed in the Maraş Massacre with mercy at the Extraordinary Assembly Meeting.
“The easiest way to get rid of the problems of other institutions in the city is to load everything to the Metropolitan”
At the assembly meeting, a member of the Assembly stated that the water channel belonging to DSI in Homurlu, in the Akdeniz district, lost its feature of being a water channel and that the wastes of the factories made that channel very harmful and dangerous. Expressing that the chemical wastes left in the canal came from the factories, the member of the Assembly stated that the citizens applied to all of the institutions, but stated that the issue belongs to the Metropolitan Municipality, although the canal is under the responsibility of DSI. Mentioning that all institutions refer the problem to each other, the Assembly member demanded that the authorized institutions be contacted by leading this issue even if it is not under the authority of the Metropolitan Municipality. President Seçer also said the following on the subject:
“The Adanalıoğlu, Homurlu you mentioned, the problems in the drainage channel belonging to DSI in that region have been on the agenda for a long time. Recently, when the district headmen came to visit me, they once again told me the problems you described. As you said, the easiest way to get rid of the problems of other institutions in the city is to load everything to the Metropolitan. Whether they have a place in the legislation or not, whether they have a duty or not, whether they are fair, conscientious or not, everyone shows the address as the Metropolitan in order to take the burden off them. Now this is one of them. One of Mersin's biggest problems is environmental problems. Like all institutions, we, especially the municipalities, do not pay much attention to this. We know that the district municipalities do not comply with wild storage in forest areas, especially in highland areas. There are developments here that may not be known to our esteemed presidents, but this is a reality. I would also like to address our esteemed presidents from here. This may be on my side, but it may also be on their side, unfortunately, from time to time, there is a picture as if bureaucracy is misleading the heads. Look, pay attention, we started from Anamur to avoid environmental problems, Bozyazı, Aydıncık, Mut, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality pays millions of liras a year from its own budget and carries it to Silifke so that a car and household waste in those regions does not spill into the forest and pollute the environment. Unfortunately, the district municipalities' thanks to us in that regard came from disinformation, manipulation, misinforming the public, and false statements. It is not my duty to transport household waste. It is my duty to dispose of household waste. I say it again; Currently, we do not allow wild storage by our district municipalities in any of our 13 districts. We take all that garbage, and we pay the price for it. But we collect the taxes for this, we send it to them, let me tell you that too. We send it to them and we dispose of it. Here, I want to announce it to the whole public.”
After Mayor Seçer's speech, Bulent Halisdemir, Head of the Metropolitan Municipality Environmental Protection and Control Department, briefed the Assembly members on the subject. Halisdemir also stated that there are many industrial establishments around the said canal, that the inspection and administrative sanction authority of these industrial establishments belongs to the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and that they do not have inspection authority. However, he explained that they were involved with the teams, and that they cleaned the pollution as much as they could with MESKI. President Seçer also said; “I mean, can I call out to my mukhtars, who also complained to me from here; This issue is being discussed in Parliament. Regarding this issue, the Head of Department of the Municipality says that it is not my responsibility to supervise it, it is in the directorate of the Ministry of Environment, can I underline this? In other words, headmen should apply to the District Governor or the Governor rather than me.” Halisdemir also noted that the treatments in the region are insufficient, that the OIZ has a daily water treatment plant of approximately 3 thousand cubic meters, but the incoming wastewater is around 5 thousand cubic meters, adding that this creates a problem. Halisdemir also stated that this pollutes the groundwater and has effects such as pest formation.
“Our Silifke Treatment Plant went bankrupt thanks to Silifke OIZ”
Speaking after a member of the Assembly said that many of the industrial establishments in the OSB gave away waste, but MESKI made a statement that its capacity was not sufficient for these industrial establishments, President Seçer said, “Now, we do not remove the capacity, but they do not treat the materials that will enter our system. This problem was experienced in Silifke. Look, our Silifke Treatment Plant went bankrupt thanks to the Silifke OIZ” and Irfan Korkmaz, Deputy General Manager of MESKI, also made statements on the subject. While Korkmaz explained that the outlet limits of the water coming out of the OIZ are higher than the acceptance limits of MESKI and it is not suitable, President Seçer said, “So it is not suitable. If the water coming out of there enters our system, it creates a problem in our treatment. But if the OSB gives this water within the limits we want in its own treatment, we can take it into the system. The situation in Silifke, Tarsus Mersin OIZ is not entirely related to the capacity. At the exit point, there must be qualifications to enter our system. Because there are chemicals, there are some unwanted substances, they are coming and they are destroying our system. We are experiencing this painfully in Silifke right now. We do not have to do this, OSB will make this investment. Whatever the OSB law is, the OSB must implement it. This is under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment. If we don't have it, let alone our field of duty, it's already our motto to help with an additional issue. This is how we look at things. As long as the problem is solved, but bringing a problem that belongs to another institution and presenting it as an independent problem of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality is not the right approach. There is a problem. We should also contribute, but it is not a problem that we can solve on our own.
“Empathy, put yourself in the shoes of those citizens, with that smell that cannot be lived there”
Speaking on the statement of another member of the Assembly that there should be a serious coordination regarding the solution of this problem, President Seçer said, “This issue is of course important. He says that every factory in OSB has to do pre-treatment, one. Two; Even if the current OIZ officials from here do not listen to the speeches in this Assembly, they will then say that some determinations have been made about us and will listen. I received an information note saying that the central treatment in the OSB does not work efficiently either. Look, every factory in OSB has to do pre-treatment. This needs to be checked. Currently, there is a problem in the central treatment of OSB, it is insufficient. Otherwise, that treatment water is the final water. I love your eyes. We signed a protocol with a valuable organization. We are making Turkey's largest environmental investment, 20 million dollars. They do this themselves. In cooperation with us. Why? So that it does not draw groundwater, not draw water from the Berdan basin. Which water we give, we give treatment water. While we give the treatment water to the industry, they give it to this stream or to the drainage channel. But those who live around the creek, really, empathize, put yourself in the shoes of those citizens, with that smell that cannot be lived there," he said. President Seçer, on the evaluation of a member of the Assembly on Silifke OSB, said, “Our treatment went bankrupt because of chemicals. We are making a new one now. We have allocated a budget of close to 100 million," he said.
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