Statement from Mansur Yavaş regarding the NATO Summit

While the activities carried out and measures taken regarding municipal services in Ankara due to the NATO Summit have sparked public debate, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş made a statement on the matter via his social media account. Stating that the recent criticisms regarding the municipality's working methods are being taken into account, Yavaş said, "Dear fellow citizens; according to our understanding of municipalism, the criticisms made serve as a guide for us to improve our service quality."

While Yavaş expressed that the municipality never claimed to be flawless and that shortcomings are always awaiting solutions, he said, "We are making the necessary evaluations together with all our units in our municipality. We have given the necessary instructions for our teams to carry out services more carefully, quickly, and effectively." He also added that they have achieved a long-desired coordination with the relevant public institutions during the preparations for the NATO Summit and thanked all the institutions that contributed.

In the information provided by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, clarity was also brought to the comments regarding the asphalt, sidewalk, infrastructure, and landscaping works carried out in the capital in recent days. In the statement, it was reminded that the decision for the NATO Summit was taken by the central government, and it was stated that the duty of the municipality is to ensure that services in the capital are carried out without any deficiencies. While drawing attention to the economic and tourism advantages that international organizations bring to Ankara, the claims that the work carried out by the municipality is only aimed at the short-term summit were rejected.

In the announcement, it was emphasized that closing the roads to vehicle traffic on main routes during asphalt paving and drainage works allowed the teams to speed up their work. Before the summit, approximately 25 thousand 415 of the 35 thousand municipal personnel participated in the work on the summit route. According to the data published by the municipality, millions of tons of asphalt have been laid and millions of square meters of sidewalks have been built in Ankara from 2019 to July 2026.

In the statement, it was also mentioned that ANFA has planted over 80 million seasonal flowers in the capital during its tenure and that decorative vases remaining from the previous administration period were maintained and put into use in the city at various points. It was stated that this process is considered a comprehensive investment period aimed at increasing Ankara's visibility in the international arena and its service capacity.