Economic Democracy
In this era marked by numerous crises, the issues arising from global economic injustices and the challenges posed by the climate crisis are growing daily. To address these problems, it is essential for social democracy to unite economic and ecological democracy in a complementary manner.
The concept of “economic democracy” frequently employed by Bülent Ecevit, the third Chairman of the Republican People’s Party and former Prime Minister, fundamentally entails the involvement of people as organized entrepreneurs in economic activities. Consequently, economic democracy constitutes a central element in the social municipalism strategies of local administrations.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is actively mobilizing the collective strength of the community, establishing notable instances of economic democracy in Türkiye through the widespread implementations of cooperative models in Izmir, particularly in rural areas.
The initiatives we are undertaking in Izmir under the concept of “Another agriculture is possible” demonstrate that economic democracy has the potential to bring about significant changes in rural areas.
For instance, we identified 4,658 small-scale producers in Izmir through the Shepherd Map we have prepared. To process the milk sourced from these small producers, we established the Bayındır Milk Factory in Bayındır, investing ₺350 million to achieve a daily milk processing capability of 100 tons. At this facility, we process the milk from our producers and brand it as “Izmirli” (Izmirian). These dairy products, especially cheese, are distributed and sold across Türkiye and the world. This way, we support our small-scale producers, provide added value to their products, and foster economic democracy in Izmir.
In line with our commitment to economic democracy, we extended our expertise in agricultural development cooperatives to urban transformation. Introducing a novel urban transformation model to Türkiye, we initiated the implementation of urban transformation projects through the establishment of building cooperatives.
As a continuation of our initiatives in economic democracy, we formulated the Project for Integrating Individual Transportation into the Public Transportation System, known as İZTAŞIT. Initially, we engaged individually with minibus drivers offering transportation services in rural regions. We facilitated the organization of cooperatives to deliver this service, previously dispersed and unregulated, in a monitored, secure, and well-organized manner.
Under the guidance of local governance in Izmir, we will persist in establishing pioneering and lasting examples of a new economic model based on economic democracy.