Who organizes?

MARMARA MUNICIPALITIES UNION

Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU) is the first and the largest regional Local Government Association in Turkey with more than 180 members from the Marmara Region, which is the northwest corner of Turkey, rich in finance, industry, commerce, tourism as well as scientific and cultural activities. The Marmara Region inhabits around 26 million residents, making up one-third of the population of Turkey. At the center of the region is the Sea of Marmara, which is an inland sea giving the region its name, and connecting Turkey’s Asian and European parts.

Since its foundation in 1975, MMU has played important roles in nurturing agreements and collaboration among mayors and council members of different political parties, helping increase the authorities and resources of its member municipalities, and representing them internationally. It carries on activities in areas such as environment, urbanization, migration and social cohesion, local economic development, resilience, technology, and innovation. Its activities include training, consulting, raising awareness, capacity building activities, knowledge and experience sharing, supporting research, organizing events and stakeholder meetings.

Consisting of 188 member municipalities, MMU operates across 11 provinces, 6 of which are metropolitan municipalities (Balikesir, Bilecik, Bursa, Çanakkale, Edirne, Istanbul, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Tekirdağ and Yalova). Its center is located in Istanbul.

For more information on MMU: www.marmara.gov.tr/en