"We should inspire each other."

17.12.2023

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer hosted Johanna Strömquist, the Consul General of Sweden in Istanbul, in his office. During the meeting where collaborations were discussed, Mayor Tunç Soyer stated, "The future is the future of cities. We should inspire each other. We should work together against crises. We also need to come up with solutions."

Consul General Johanna Strömquist of Sweden visited Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer in his office. Yigit Tatis, the Honorary Consul of Sweden in Izmir, also attended the visit. Mutual collaborations were discussed during the meeting. Mayor Tunç Soyer stated, "The future is the future of cities. We should inspire each other. We should work together against crises. We also need to come up with solutions. We can work on art, music, youth activities, and child welfare together. In Izmir, we prioritize many projects such as infrastructure, gulf cleaning, and metro constructions."

"We are not at the center of nature"
Emphasizing democracy and the creation of a smart city, Mayor Soyer provided information about the activities of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Soyer said, "As a port city, Izmir has a tradition of living together. Therefore, Izmir is different from other cities in Turkey. We work not only for social but also for ecological and economic democracy. We need to change our perspective, we are not at the center of nature. Nature shares the table with us. We need to be in harmony with nature. In Izmir, we support the producers. Producers are very important to us. What I mean by economic democracy is exactly this."

Strömquist: "We should focus on solutions together"
Consul General Johanna Strömquist said, "Sustainability and efforts to address the climate crisis are also on our agenda. We should work together. We are also looking for partners to collaborate with. We should find a sister city for Izmir from Sweden. A city with a coastline... This could be our goal. We also have common problems. We should work together on solutions." Regarding the urban transformation projects conveyed by Mayor Soyer, Strömquist said, "We can discuss wooden houses with Swedish architects. It can be adapted to Izmir as well." Collaboration with the Swedish Development Agency was also discussed during the meeting. Strömquist said, "It would be very good, there would be a concrete working area. For example, waste energy systems, waste systems, etc.," she said.

Honorary Consul Yigit Tatis of Sweden in Izmir said, "Izmir is the city that takes sustainability most seriously. There is a powerful dedication within the city. Our common point with Sweden is this."

 

 

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