LTB Mayor Harmancı: “Baf and Gazimağusa Gates are our priorities!”

The Lefkoşa Turkish Municipality (LTB) Mayor Mehmet Harmancı emphasized that he will continue to work resolutely to fulfill the requirements of the responsibilities given to them.

Mehmet Harmancı, who was elected as Lefkoşa Turkish Municipality Mayor for the third time on the 25 December 2022 local elections, spoke to the Turkish Agency Cyprus (TAK).

-upper structure and infrastructure projects…

Referring to the upper structure and infrastructure projects, which are the public’s greatest expectations from the Lefkoşa Turkish Municipality, Mehmet Harmancı said that with the passing of the Municipalities Law, transformation works will begin on the main streets, including the upper structure project of the road, pavement, and landscaping.

Stating that they will have an opportunity to put the road map into practice in around 6 months with the passing of the law, Harmancı noted that public streets will be renewed, the infrastructure of some streets has been completed, and efforts on finishing the upper structure will continue.

- Hamitköy is our first priority

LTB Mayor Harmancı emphasized that approximately 65 percent of Lefkoşa is connected to sewerage and that they are making an intense effort to connect the remaining areas within the next 4 years, and noted that their priority is Hamitköy.

Harmancı stated that their work with the EU on the sewerage of Hamitköy will be completed by the end of this month and they will enter a period where they can see more clearly whether the obstacles in front of them are removed.

Harmancı said that the work carried out with the EU on the sewerage of Hamitköy will be completed at the end of this month and it will then become more transparent if there are any remaining obstacles."

-" Social municipal policies are important"

Harmancı pointed to the importance of social municipal policies to be implemented by local governments in the struggle against impoverishment and continued as follows: “Lately we have implemented a cuisine for sharing, which serves around 400 people a day. We have important applications such as nurseries, children's centers, especially the new world –free activity center. We also implemented the sharing grocery store project in December 2021-May 2022. By institutionalizing and expanding our solidarity networks, we will make it permanent by expanding our sharing grocery store to include basic cleaning and personal hygiene products” -"Water out of the Haspolat treatment plant will be used for agricultural land" Also referring to the important tender for the distribution of the water from the Haspolat treatment plant to a wider area, Harmancı stated that the LTB’s tender preparation is expected to be finalized by the end of this month.

Pointing to the importance of the tender for approximately 3,500, with an approximate value of 1 million, water will also be utilized in agricultural terms. We will also generate additional income from this, he said.

-“Women’s shelter”

The women’s shelter centre is currently providing services to the whole of the country. Stating that the shelter is serving in its new location under very good conditions, Harmancı stated that the shelter is providing services to many women who have been subject to violence.

-Kanlıdere project…

Harmancı also spoke of the Kanlıdere project and said that there was an ongoing tender process, and that preparations were continuing. He added that companies had submitted their work to the municipality and that they were nearing completion.

Referring to the EU’s proposal for a crossing point on the stream, within the scope of the project, Harmancı said that he was not sure whether it was possible to realize it in the existing political climate.

“Our approach to this issue is to apply the same process as Lokmacı. In line with the demands of both sides of the stream and the demands that may come from top to bottom during the process, this can only happen according to the political climate of that day”.

“We believe that the project should be applied and that it will be to the benefit of both sides and that it should not be prevented due to the current political climate. In this respect, our insistence will continue. We will discuss this issue in Brussels”, Harmancı noted.