Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyermade statements at the BASİFED meeting about the sea saliva that threatens the Marmara Sea and is feared for the Aegean Sea. President Soyer said, “As long as we continue to clean and prevent its contamination, this disaster will stay away from us. Rest assured, the first scientific data show that this disaster is far from us.” said.
Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyerattended the meeting of the Federation of Western Anatolian Industrialists' and Businessmen's Associations (BASİFED). President Soyer answered the questions of the members about many issues, from sea saliva (mucilage) to Izmir traffic, which is on the agenda in recent days. President making statements on sea saliva Tunç Soyer, said that as soon as the issue of mucilage came up, he requested reports from scientists from different universities and that they started a very rigorous research. Stating that the first data are heartbreaking for İzmir, Mayor Soyer said, “We were told that if the treatment water given to the seas comes out of advanced biological treatment plants, the ecological balance of the sea is not affected and there is no possibility of a negative picture. We have advanced biological treatment plants in Narlıdere and Çiğli. It has been concluded that the treated water does not affect the pollution of the gulf. İzmir is Turkey's leader in advanced biological treatment. On the one hand, the construction of rainwater-sewage water separation channels, which we continue to clean the gulf, continues. Separation of each kilometer, canal, rainwater and sewage treatment channel serves to clean the gulf. It is not a closed sea like Marmara. There is a natural circulation. As long as we do not pollute, the self-renewal of nature and the cleaning of the circulation increase. We received the Blue Flag for the first time in Güzelbahçe. Torpille is not something bought with a partner, it's an international standard. We will continue to pull it into the bay. As we continue to clean it and prevent its contamination, this scourge will stay away from us. Rest assured, the first scientific data show that this disaster is far from us. Of course, we will not relax,” he said.
Let's get rid of the rubber wheel
President Soyer pointed out that after the 17-day closure in İzmir, the number of vehicles on the main arteries increased by 111 percent compared to the same period of the previous year; stated that the light rail system, metro and sea transportation should be used more. Stating that they are also trying to increase bicycle and pedestrian transportation, Soyer said, “We have to get rid of rubber wheels as much as possible, encourage subway, light rail system, sea and bicycle transportation, and shift the load of traffic to these places.” Saying that they are working on at least 3 new metro routes, the President Tunç Soyeralso drew attention to the rise in ferry use.
We are ready to be facilitators
Touching on the second ring road issue, Soyer said, “The ministry does not take a step in the second ring road project, which is on the agenda of the ministry. Although we have other solutions, we are ready to be a facilitator regarding the freeway in today's conditions. In this regard, perhaps the initiatives of NGOs before the ministry will be important. "I think the government will have an initiative after we start demanding it," he said.
no magic wand
Stating that they produced new solutions for the traffic problem, Soyer said, “We know that the biggest problem of İzmir is the traffic at the moment. We try to make it easy. But I also appreciate that we do not have a magic wand. We are ready to listen to suggestions and receive ideas. We continue to work with our expert staff as a top priority.” Stating that there is a high cost of 1 billion for the underpass planned to be built in Alsancak, Soyer stated that they cannot give up on the project and they are looking for a new artery. He said that the underpass project to be built in İnciraltı was shelved as a result of the lawsuit filed by the Chamber of City Planners.
There is a court order
Speaking about the project that will connect Üçkuyular and Bostanlı, which has come to the agenda of İzmir in the past, Soyer said, “There is a court decision beyond being a supporter and an opponent. That's why it's impossible. We started the purchasing process of the 6th ferry. We will be operating the ferries much more frequently," he said.
380 million purchases
Providing information about the People's Grocery, Mayor Soyer said that they want to increase the number of shops to 20. Making statements about the vision of “Another Agriculture is Possible”, Soyer noted that they are struggling with drought and poverty. Soyer said, “Last year, we made 144 million lira purchases. We will increase the purchase guarantee to 380 million this year and next year. We will make it possible for our producers to produce more and sell what they produce.”
Pointing out that traffic has increased in all cities after the pandemic, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Dr. Buğra Gökçe talked about the temporary and permanent works they will do in areas with heavy traffic. BASİFED Chairman of the Board Mehmet Ali Kasalı emphasized the importance of the philosophy of “Another Agriculture is Possible” and said, “You also prevent the concentration of the center, which is a very important urban problem, by keeping the farmers and villagers in their places. "This is not just a tomato and pepper issue, I see it as a very important solution for urbanization," he said.
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