Public institutions in historic venues are being relocated

The 2024 2nd Term Meeting of the Istanbul Provincial Coordination Board was held under the chairmanship of Governor Davut Gül. The meeting at the Fatih Municipality Neslişah Sultan Cultural Center was attended by deputy governors, district governors, mayors, and representatives of public and non-governmental organizations. At the meeting, where the general operations of public units in Istanbul were evaluated, assessments were made regarding investments planned for the second 6 months of the year, and solution proposals for potential problems were discussed.

'SAVINGS MEASURES AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL'

Stating that savings measures have been at the highest level for the last year, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said, "Investments are prioritized and planned in compliance with savings measures. What we need to do here is to quickly tender the projects that are in the investment program. Especially to ensure that all budgetary expenditures are utilized by the end of the year. If expenditures remain low and are not utilized sufficiently in investments that are already limited, it means that public resources are not being used effectively and adequately."

Expressing the necessity of making administrative buildings earthquake-ready, Gül said, "We have an earthquake risk, as you know. Whether it happens in 10 seconds, 10 years, or 100 years, only God knows. But it is our duty to make the city as prepared for disasters as possible, starting with our own buildings. In that respect, do not treat the issues that the AFAD Directorate writes and notifies you about from time to time as routine correspondence. We need to fulfill the requirements of these and wait in a state of preparedness for disasters. Thank God, education is not continuing in any of our risky schools. We need to continue this in the same way for our administrative buildings," he said.

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS ARE BEING RELOCATED TO DIFFERENT VENUES

Governor Gül said, "We will relocate our public institutions and organizations serving in administrative buildings within historic venues, especially in the Walled City, to different locations as much as possible. Our goal is this: to make a breakthrough in culture and arts in Sultanahmet without straining or damaging that historic fabric. The relocation process for a few institutions has begun, and the process for a few others to move to different buildings has started. The others will also happen gradually," he stated.

Stating that savings measures have found resonance in the public conscience, Gül said, "Savings measures are efforts that our nation cares about very much and that truly find a place in the public conscience. In this respect, we must act in such a way that when citizens look at every 1 lira and every 1 kuruş we spend, attaching more importance to it than our own money, they will not say, 'While we are suffering, public institutions and organizations made this unnecessary expenditure.' We must act in that manner," he said.