Soyer became the President of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Regions
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer was elected as the President of the Committee of Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Nominated as a candidate for the Committee of Regions Presidency by the Socialist Group, Soyer was unanimously elected to the presidency of one of the most significant political positions in Europe. The first message Soyer gave to the Congress and the public after the election was about the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey and its founder, Atatürk. Soyer said, “I am very aware that I owe this position to which I have been elected today to those who founded the modern Republic of Turkey with their endless devotion to peace and democracy. As we enter a new century, I assume this duty to further the legacy of Atatürk, who gifted us uninterrupted peace for 100 years with his principle of ‘peace at home, peace in the world. At the end of the three-day marathon in which the presidents and executive bodies of the two chambers, representing 130,000 local administrations from 46 countries, were elected, I will represent Izmir and Turkey at the highest level.”
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer was unanimously elected as the President of the Committee of Regions at the 45th General Assembly of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Along with being the President of the Regional Assembly, Soyer also gained the right to assume the position of Deputy President of the Congress officially. Soyer, nominated as a joint candidate on behalf of the Socialist Group, was unanimously elected as the President. Tunç Soyer will serve as the President of the Committee of Regions for 2.5 years and will assume a leadership role in establishing more democratic and fair local governments in Europe.
First message Republic and Ataturk
Accepting the congratulations after the election, Mayor Tunç Soyer said in his first statement on his social media account: “I will represent our Izmir and Turkey at the highest level at the end of the 3-day marathon in which the presidents and executive staff of the 2-parliamentary structure, where 130 thousand local governments from 46 countries are represented, are elected. As we enter the second century of our Republic, we are both proud and responsible for this international mission. We will work with heart, effort, and love.”
Addressing the Congress later, Soyer thanked the members of the Congress and the previous term president, Harald Sonderegger, for their trust and support in him.
Reminding in his speech that the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey will be celebrated four days later, Soyer said, “I am very aware that I owe this position to which I was elected today to those who founded the modern Republic of Turkey with their endless devotion to peace and democracy. As we enter a new century, I am assuming this duty to further the legacy of Atatürk, who gifted us uninterrupted peace for 100 years with his principle of ‘peace at home, peace in the world.’ “I will do my best to crown the Republic of Turkey with a more solid democracy,” he said.
Presidency of the Committee of Regions is one of the most essential authorities in Europe
Founded on May 5 1949, the organization of the Council of Europe protects the fundamental human rights of 830 million citizens of 46 member countries, such as the fight against discrimination, democracy, the rule of law, the defense of cultural diversity, and gender equality. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is among the political bodies of the Council of Europe. The Congress, which consists of elected representatives in a local or regional administration, comprises 612 members representing more than 130 thousand local and regional administrations affiliated with 46 member states. The decision-making processes of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities are carried out in two separate assemblies: the Assembly of Local Authorities and the Assembly of Regions. Metropolitan municipalities, councils, and special provincial administrations from Turkey are represented in the Assembly of Regions. Districts and towns have the right to be represented in the Local Governments Assembly of the Congress. The President of the Congress and the presidents of both chambers are among the three most influential actors in the management of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. These 3 presidents have joint responsibility in the decision-making and management processes of the Congress. The Presidency of the Congressional Districts Assembly, which has a very valuable task in the European political dialogue to represent and defend regional and urban development, is responsible for issues that are not only regional but also profoundly affect cities and local governments, such as wars, climate crisis, epidemics, extremism, social injustice and the decline of democratic values all over the world. It serves as a political dialogue platform that is important for solving problems in the face of global crises.
07.10.2024