WHO European Healthy Cities Network Management Visited Türkiye

member, and her team visited our country. The delegation started their visit from Izmir and was welcomed by Deputy Secretary General of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Prof. Dr. Pınar Okyay, Chairman of Izmir Planning Agency and THCA Advisory Board Member Prof. Dr. Koray Velibeyoğlu, Secretary General of THCA Murat Ar, Head of Health Affairs Department of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Ahmet Soner Emre and Healthy Cities Project Coordinator, Director of Climate Change and Clean Energy Department of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Ahmet Toker.

After the acquaintance meeting, presentations were made on the works of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality about fighting with climate change and its “One Health” policies. After the presentations, the delegation visited Presedent of THCA Dr. Cemil Tugay in his office. Kira Fortune congratulated Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Cemil Tugay who was elected as the president of association, and stated that Turkish Healthy Cities Association and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality are the leading institutions of WHO European Healthy Cities Network, and wished to increase cooperation in the new presidential term. Afterwards, the delegation visited the Peynircioğlu Stream Ecological Corridor, which is one of the projects of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, and Pako Street Animals Social Life Campus under the Department of Veterinary Affairs Public Health.

The second visit of the delegation was to Bursa. The visitation took place at the office of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and president advisor, THCA Advisory Board Member Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Türkkan, Deputy Secretary General Mehmet Emin Direkçi, Head of External Relations Department Pınar Işıkyıldız and Head of Health Affairs Department Düşünsel Şentürk attended the meeting.

Kira Fortune congratulated Mayor Bozbey for WHO European Healthy Cities Network Conference to be held in Bursa next year and emphasized the importance of coming together in Bursa twenty years after 2005 conference.

The delegation participated in European Mobility Week event upon the invitation of the Department of Transportation.

After the presentations made by the Anti-Addiction Branch Directorate of the Department of Health Affairs and the Transportation Coordination Branch Directorate of the Department of Transportation, the delegation finally visited Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The last visitation took place at the office of Head of Health Affairs Department of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Lecturer Önder Yüksel Eryiğit and Hospice Branch Manager and Healthy Cities Project Coordinator Tülay Aytekin Aktaş accompanied the meeting. Department of Health Affairs shared their activities with the visitors and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality was invited to take part in WHO European Healthy Cities Network.