The Symposium of Age-Friendly Cities was held in Bursa

“The Age-Friendly Cities Symposium”, organized by Family and Social Policies Ministry

Directorate General for People with Disabilities and Elderly Services in collaboration with Union of

Municipalities of Turkey and by supports of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality and Turkish Healthy

Cities Association was held on 26 – 27 November 2015, in Bursa. The symposium which lasted

for 2 days, covered many grounds such as active ageing and urban design to enhance life quality

of elderly people, “Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide by World Health Organization” for social

transformation, researches and surveys revealing the developments related to ageing and

elderliness within the concept of Age-Friendly City.

Mr. Recep Altepe – President of Turkish Healthy Cities Association and Metropolitan Municipality

Mayor of Bursa, Mr. İshak Çiftçi – General Director of People with Disabilities and Elderly Services

of Family and Social Policies Ministry, Mr. Ergün Güngör – Deputy Governor of Bursa and

representatives of relevant public institutions attended the symposium. Also the associates of

Healthy Cities Association; Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality,

İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality, Çankaya

Municipality, Denizli Metropolitan Municipality, Gölcük Municipality, Odunpazarı Municipality,

Pendik Municipality, Kadıköy Municipality, Mezitli Municipality, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality,

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Gebze Municipality, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, Yalova

Municipality contributed to the symposium by their presentations and participations.

Emphasizing the growing number of elderly population in Turkey, Mr. İshak Çiftçi – General

Director of People with Disabilities and Elderly Services of Family and Social Policies Ministry

stated that even if the corporate care services are to be augmented within the structure of altering

population and the level of projected ageing, it would not be enough for the increasing population

of elderly. Çiftçi indicated it is anticipated that one of every three people would be 65 or more in

2075 in Turkey, and said “Therefore, there should be studies to take measures already now.”

President of Turkish Healthy Cities Association and Metropolitan Municipality Mayor of Bursa, Mr.

Recep Altepe stated that the key weapon of healthy ageing is to prevent isolation of elderly

people. President Altepe said: “People are born, they grow up and get old. All of us will pass

through this path. Researches and surveys intended for this hard and arduous path, revealing the

problems and developments related to ageing, conditions of a quality life in elderly ages, urban

design convenient for elderly people are of high importance with respect to healthy ageing. I

would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributes at this symposium.” He also

stated he believes in four strategical field of study about elderliness which are “a healthy ageing

that covers the whole lifetime”, “strengthening the healthcare system for ever-increasing elderly

people population”, “to provide supportive environments for elderly people”, and “to carry out the

researches for a better healthcare”. He indicated that they call it as “life course”, and their aim is

to enable local authorities to focus on the whole process from beginning to end.

After the keynote speeches, the awards designated by evaluating the studies of municipalities

and governorates who apllied in order to support the age-friendly efforts were granted.

Governorship of Ankara, Governorship of Bolu, Governorship of Bursa, along with Bursa

Metropolitan Municipality, Erzincan Municipality, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Denizli

Metropolitan Municipality, Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality, Dinar Municipality,

Gaziemir Municipality, Kadıköy Municipality, Pendik Municipality and Gölcük Municipality were

deemed worthy of award.

During the symposium, presentations on active ageing, social services for elderly people, sanitary

living conditions, availability for elderly people, elderly care at cities were made to the

participants. Following the sessions, there were workshops related to issues such as “Evealuation

Workshop” or “Nursing At Home, Support for Domiciliary Care, Social Studies.” Also a group of

80 participants consisting of people over 60 had a chance to attend the symposium after they

visited the historical sites of Bursa, by the organization of Pendik Municipality.