Ekrem İmamoğlu draws attention to the refugee crisis!

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu delivered important messages at the Bloomberg CityLab 2024 Summit held in Mexico City. Emphasizing that authoritarian policies exploit social divisions, İmamoğlu drew attention to the refugee crisis facing Istanbul. He also highlighted the principles of solidarity and development by explaining the 'Istanbul Model' through the social assistance project "Askıda Fatura" (Pay-it-Forward Bill). Reminding the audience of Atatürk's messages of peace, İmamoğlu stated that city leaders must engage in international cooperation.

Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB) and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu spoke at the 11th 'Bloomberg CityLab 2024 Summit', held in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, with the participation of more than 500 mayors from around the world. İmamoğlu said, "Today's authoritarian politicians exploit social divisions, hollow out democratic institutions, and silence the opposition. This game is not played only within national borders. By creating external enemies and fueling international conflicts, they aim to consolidate their control over power."

TBB and IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu attended the 11th annual Bloomberg CityLab 2024 Summit. Speaking there, İmamoğlu shared his local governance experiences on many topics, from the IMM practice of 'Askıda Fatura' to the 'Istanbul Model'. While delivering a message for world peace, İmamoğlu cited Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's words: "Unless the life of the nation is in danger, war is murder," and "Peace at home, peace in the world."

Emphasizing that Istanbul has been facing the threat of irregular refugee and asylum seeker migration in recent years, İmamoğlu said:

"The reason for the challenges Istanbul faces today is not just the increasingly authoritarian system in the country, but the spread of authoritarian leaders in the region. The civil war in Syria displaced 12 million people, and most of these people took refuge in Türkiye. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have led to the displacement of millions of people in the region, further deepening humanitarian crises. As Syrians, Ukrainians, and others look for a place to take shelter, Istanbul is once again on the front line of the humanitarian crisis. Yet, this crisis is too big for Istanbul and Türkiye to shoulder alone."

HE SPOKE ABOUT 'ASKIDA FATURA'

İmamoğlu said, "Our 'Askıda Fatura' (Pay-it-Forward Bill) platform represents the essence of our solidarity-based municipalism, where citizens help citizens. The platform, which was launched in the first year of the pandemic, began when 25 percent of households in Istanbul applied for social assistance because they could not pay their electricity bills. The city tripled its social assistance budget, but it still could not meet the demand. Therefore, we returned to an old tradition and helped people assist one another. The municipality used its resources to identify those in need and determined families with a household income of less than 100 dollars. They uploaded their bills, and donors covered these bills. Both donors and recipients were anonymous. Donations reached the recipient's bill directly, and 100 percent transparency was ensured. This act of solidarity between individuals is simple and effective. It reflects an old Anatolian tradition called 'askıda ekmek' (bread on the hook), where people pay for an extra loaf of bread for their neighbors in need."

"THE ISTANBUL MODEL PRIORITIZES THE NEEDS OF CITY RESIDENTS"

İmamoğlu explained the Istanbul Model as follows:

"The Istanbul Model was built on three basic principles: solidarity, development, and prosperity. These principles guide every policy we implement. Our first principle is solidarity. With the Istanbul Model, the city administration and 32 municipal companies prioritize the needs of city residents. This approach builds a creative, fair, and green city while tackling complex problems such as migration, poverty, and inequality. The principle of solidarity also means facilitating citizen platforms like the 'Askıda Fatura' platform. The second principle of the model is development. Our focus is on egalitarian and smart urbanization. We have made significant investments to extend metro lines, improve bus and sea lines, and bring mobility to underserved areas. We are also expanding green spaces, ensuring everyone has access to nature. We have already opened a total of 13 million square meters of green space, including 6 city forests. We have created 22 new public squares, which are symbols of freedom of expression and assembly for cities."

"CITIES ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE MIGRATION AND REFUGEE CRISIS"

İmamoğlu answered the question, "In a world where democracy and global peace are under threat, how can city leadership make a critical difference?" as follows:

"Today's authoritarian politicians are playing a game that is now very well known. They exploit social divisions, hollow out democratic institutions, and silence the opposition. This game is not played only within national borders. By creating external enemies and fueling international conflicts, they aim to consolidate their control over power. The reason for the challenges Istanbul faces today is not just the increasingly authoritarian system in the country, but the spread of authoritarian leaders in the region. The civil war in Syria displaced 12 million people, and most of these people took refuge in Türkiye. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have led to the displacement of millions of people in the region, further deepening humanitarian crises. As Syrians, Ukrainians, and others look for a place to take shelter, Istanbul is once again on the front line of the humanitarian crisis. Yet, this crisis is too big for Istanbul and Türkiye to shoulder alone. Cities are directly affected by the migration and refugee crisis. However, their role in shaping global policies is very limited. Therefore, mayors must cooperate more to influence the decision-making process.

"CITY LEADERS MUST MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD"

If we believe in human rights and justice, we must react with the same determination wherever humanitarian crises occur. Unfortunately, they are not always reacted to with the same determination. And that is why liberal democracy is losing ground, and many people think the global system has let them down. The founder of my political party and the Republic of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, warned national leaders, saying, 'Unless the life of the nation is in danger, war is murder.' His well-known words, 'Peace at home, peace in the world,' remain a guiding principle for me. In a world where democracy and global peace are under threat, city leaders must make their voices heard and take initiative for peace and cooperation. We are doing exactly that in Istanbul and beyond."