(BURSA)- Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey met with representatives of Balkan and Rumelia non-governmental organizations at the ‘Balkan and Rumelia Associations Meeting Meeting’. Stating that Bursa is a Balkan city, Mayor Bozbey said, “The Balkans were contributing to Bursa yesterday, and they still continue to contribute.”
The ‘Balkan and Rumelian Associations Meeting Meeting’, hosted by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, was held at Merinos Atatürk Congress Cultural Center. In addition to Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, CHP Bursa Deputy Hasan Öztürk, Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Mehmet Yıldız, Yenişehir Mayor Ercan Özel, Tarım Peyzaj A.Ş. Chairman of the Board of Directors Mehmet Aydın Saldız, representatives of Balkan and Rumelian associations and non-governmental organizations, business people and council members attended.
“We must look at our heritage there from many perspectives”
Stating that Bursa is a Balkan city, Mayor Mustafa Bozbey said, “Bursa’s exports in 2024 are approximately 17.5 billion dollars. 13 billion dollars of this were made by Balkan business people. We see that many of the business people in Bursa are Balkan immigrants. The Balkans were contributing yesterday, and they still continue to contribute. The historical and cultural heritage in the Balkans has been protected so far. We must embrace our heritage there and stand up. “We should remove it. Future generations should be able to listen to their stories when they go there. That’s why we have a responsibility in this regard. I also visited the villages of my parents’ family,” he said.
“We can pass it on to future generations as an important value.”
Stating that it is necessary to support the commercial dimension between Bursa and the Balkans, Mayor Bozbey stated that industrialists’ and businessmen’s associations are doing important work on this issue. Stating that Bursa Metropolitan Municipality is ready to take responsibility in this regard, Mayor Bozbey said, “The more we strengthen our relations with the Balkans, the more traces we will leave. We will also ensure its sustainability. The Balkans are very valuable to us, historically and culturally. The Balkans in Bursa The establishment of the Institute has always been discussed. Maybe we can establish the institute by creating its infrastructure this term and pass it on to future generations as an important value for Bursa. “I was happy to be with people who contributed,” he said.
Bursa Deputy Hasan Öztürk stated that Bursa, where Balkan immigrants live densely, is a kind of capital of the Balkans. Stating that Bursa Metropolitan Municipality has many studies for the Balkans and Rumelia, Hasan Öztürk explained that they want to develop joint projects by establishing direct relations with non-governmental organizations. Stating that Bursa is the most important figure in Turkey’s connection with the Balkans, Öztürk stated that they will fight for the establishment of the Balkan and Rumelia Institute.