Gazimağusa Mayor Uluçay: "We will create small city councils"

Gazimağusa Mayor Süleyman Uluçay noted that he would be managing the municipality with a participatory, problem-solving and business approach and that one of his most important projects was to realize this structure.

Highlighting the importance of participatory municipality management, Uluçay said that just as they plan to fully embrace the city as a whole, they aim to fully embrace the municipal council. Uluçay said that steps are being taken to embrace all council members, adding that the participants will include mukhtars and other organs of the municipality.

Uluçay said that as the Gazimağusa Municipality, they will create small city councils not exceeding 15 people of different age and tender groups and will keep track of the developments.

“This is how we plan to ensure participation in the city.”

Speaking to the Turkish Agency Cyprus (TAK), Gazimağusa Mayor Süleyman Uluçay responded to questions on the ongoing sewerage work in the district. The company responsible for the excavations of the ongoing sewerage efforts has given a timeframe that the work will continue until October, Uluçay said.

Underlining that the excavations will continue on certain main streets in the coming period, Uluçay pointed out that this will create more problems in traffic. Noting that it was pleasing that 62 per cent of the sewerage works have been completed, Uluçay noted that the delay of the asphalting process was due to the effect of the winter season.

Uluçay stated that even if there is no asphalting in the winter, the company has formed teams that are on duty 24 hours a day to solve the problems that the soil in the excavated areas may cause.

Referring to the possibilities of potholes and problems that may arise due to sewerage work on roads, Uluçay called on citizens to contact the Public Relations unit of the Gazimağusa Municipality or report the problems on the social media accounts of the municipality. This will be discussed with the relevant company and ensure that the problems are resolved as soon as possible.

Uluçay explained that the work carried out on the sewerage was not new but that they were carrying out efforts on areas that needed repairing. Traffic problems:

Regarding the increasing traffic problem in the city, Uluçay stated that the traffic density increased in the morning hours and evenings on the two roads leading to Salamis Road and Büyük Sanayi, (large industrial zone).

Mayor Uluçay said that a diversity of suggestions and thoughts have been put forward to relieve the traffic. We plan to implement a traffic commission as soon as possible to tackle these problems, he said adding that it would not be right for him to make decisions on these matters alone. There is also a technical part of this, he said.

– “Closed city of Maraş (Varosha) is a state policy”

Referring to the closed city of Maraş being opened to visitors and other openings, Uluçay said that the closed city of Maraş was a policy of the state and that therefore, it is the relevant institutions of the state that will decide on new initiatives or new developments to be taken.

“We, as the municipality, will always continue to fulfil our duties and responsibilities regarding developments, expansions or new practices to be carried out”, Uluçay said.

– Access to the sea

Regarding the initiatives to be carried out for the public to have more access to the sea in Gazimağusa, which is a port city, Uluçay said, “The most important and the most beautiful project in this regard is the Gazimağusa-Iskele-Yeniboğaziçi Development Plan, that will enable the bicycle and pedestrian route from under the Free-Port and extending to Glapsides. But when implementing this route we believe in the importance of having a road for traffic. Implementing serious changes on Salamis road will also relieve the traffic problem”, he said.

Uluçay also said that they were considering introducing public transportation in the summer period to provide more access to the sea for the people of Gazimağusa.