Building Bridges Instead of Walls, Mayor Aras in Lecce

07 Dec Building Bridges Instead of Walls, Mayor Aras in Lecce

On December 5, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Building Bridges project took place in Lecce, Italy. This initiative brought together cities like Muğla, Berlin, and Brindisi to reflect on the symbolic and physical roles of walls and bridges in Europe’s past and present. In a gathering that included numerous mayors and representatives, discussions focused on the concepts of walls, bridges, and migration.

The Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union and Muğla Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Aras highlighted crucial points at the meeting, emphasizing regional development and the significance of inter-municipal cooperation. Mayor Aras highlighted Muğla’s strategic role as a significant Mediterranean city, emphasizing that collaborative projects and bridge initiatives could effectively tackle challenges, particularly those within the Mediterranean region. In line with the World City Muğla vision, Mayor Aras pointed out plans to focus on shared Mediterranean issues in the near future, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, mass migration, and crisis management. He emphasized intentions to organize visits to more Mediterranean cities and capitals. In this context, Mayor Aras expressed great joy in visiting Lecce on this occasion.

Focusing on the concept of migration, Mayor Aras stated, “The Mediterranean is our shared value, and we must work together to find solutions to all its challenges, including migration.” He emphasized that in today’s world, factors such as globalization, climate change, poverty, human rights violations, xenophobia, wars, and political instability have made migration increasingly complex. Mayor Aras highlighted that municipal leadership is responsible for registering immigrants, addressing their needs, and following necessary procedures within international legal frameworks. In this context, he stressed the importance of sharing experiences and collaborating with other cities facing similar issues.

Mayor Aras stated that the natural beauty, economic structure, and tourism potential of Muğla are significant factors that encourage many foreigners to consider living in the city. He emphasized the importance of developing various projects and initiatives to promote the social integration and inclusion of immigrants into the local community. Mayor Aras highlighted the significance of local, national, and international cooperation within the same context. He expressed a commitment to creating more effective, innovative, sustainable, and human-rights-respecting approaches to migration management in collaboration with other cities facing similar challenges.

Mayor Aras contributed significantly to this project by facilitating knowledge exchange among citizens from different countries and fostering the creation of “bridges” instead of “walls,” which brings substantial benefits to cities. Emphasizing the vision of Muğla as a Global City, Mayor Aras continues to take vital steps toward strengthening peaceful relationships, establishing new city partnerships, and creating collaboration opportunities among European cities.