The tension between Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) has ended with the signing of a cooperation protocol. Stating that this conflict was harming Ankara, Metropolitan Mayor Melih Gökçek conveyed the message that now there will be cooperation and employment, not conflict.
Services to be provided…
Gökçek summarized the services to be provided to Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) under the protocol as follows: “First of all, as Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, we will invest 3 million TL every month, 36 million TL annually, in all kinds of infrastructure (asphalt, sidewalks, landscaping activities, water, natural gas, etc.) of the OSBs. There will be no unpaved or unopened roads left in the OSBs. In addition, we will cooperate with OSBs through BEL-TEK courses and help them train skilled workers in whatever field they want, free of charge. A technical team selected from within the OSBs and the municipality will be in constant contact. Their sole task will be to identify the spare parts needed for all the vehicles and equipment of the municipality, primarily the metro and municipal buses, and to ensure their production in the OSBs. The fact that valuable parts will be cheaper than foreign parts will disrupt competition in favor of the OSBs. In cooperation with the OSBs, the Metropolitan Municipality, and TÜBİTAK, R&D studies will be carried out on issues needed by the municipalities, primarily the metro. Prototype productions will be made, and in the future, God willing, metro wagons and other parts will be produced in Ankara.” We will produce them. The Metropolitan Municipality will issue the fire safety permits in the Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs). OSB and municipality personnel will conduct joint inspections. We will also continuously cooperate on closing down unlicensed establishments.”
25,000 jobs guaranteed.
Gökçek stated that he received only one promise from the industrialists in return for the protocol, explaining it as follows: “Thanks to the protocol, I received only one promise from them in return for all these services of the Metropolitan Municipality. I asked them to promise 50,000 jobs within two years. They said, ‘Mr. Mayor, we promise 25,000. We will do our best for the 50,000 as well.’ Even at the lowest level, 25,000 people means 25,000 families. This is at least one-fortieth of Ankara's population. You will begin to see the results of these decisions we made after the holiday.”
We must embrace change.
Speaking at the protocol ceremony, Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek also stated that a change in mindset is necessary in industrialization. Çiçek said: "Unfortunately, we haven't fully caught up with this change. We are harming our country by using both personal and state resources. We build the building, then try to get the permit later. Then we try to correct the mistakes by passing laws. Of course, the mistakes are not corrected. After a while, they become glaringly obvious."
Çiçek stated that signing the protocol was not enough, saying, "Everyone must do their part. It's unacceptable to say, 'We've signed it, we'll find a way later.' If we're going to make excuses, we won't be involved in this. Because these discussions are causing Ankara to lose a lot." He added, "Industrialization is our dream," and said that a developed society means an industrialized society.
"It will set an example for other provinces"
ASO President Nurettin Özdebir stated, "Metropolitan Mayor Melih Gökçek has a significant role in the orderly development of Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs). The Metropolitan Municipality has undertaken all the tasks that the public sector should have handled in the OSBs. We are signing a protocol that everyone will admire. We will be an example for other provinces. Local press outlets in other provinces are already running headlines such as 'The Gökçek formula for OSBs'."
The conflict between Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek and the Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) has ended. Gökçek stated that since the Organized Industrial Zones Law was enacted, he had disagreements with the OSBs due to perceived flaws in their powers, but to prevent further damage to Ankara's industry, he has backed down and offered cooperation to the OSBs.
Within the framework of this cooperation plan, a cooperation protocol was signed between the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and the chairmen of the boards of directors of the Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) located in Ankara. The protocol signing ceremony, attended by the Speaker of the Parliament Cemil Çiçek, AKP Member of Parliament Salih Kapusuz, the President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry Nurettin Özdebir, the Rector of Gazi University Prof. Dr. Rıza Ayhan, and the chairmen of the OSBs, was held at the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality building.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek said that perhaps for the first time, he had compromised on his principles and taken a step back on an issue, sitting down at the table with the Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs). Gökçek stated that after the OSB law was passed, the management style in the OSBs did not align with his understanding of municipal governance, and that he could not accept it for this reason. He added that he wanted to prevent further damage to Ankara's industry and therefore sought cooperation with the OSB managements.
Gökçek continued: “At the meeting we held at ASO (Ankara Chamber of Industry) recently, we discussed Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs). We had anticipated that the OSBs would have certain demands. However, the sincere atmosphere and conversation there made me realize that I needed to develop many more projects regarding OSBs. We had previously built the infrastructure for İvedik Organized Industrial Zone and OSTİM, providing all kinds of facilities in the process. Then the OSB law was passed, and municipal powers were transferred to the OSBs. They issue the permits. They exercise zoning authority. They distribute water and gas. Their use of all authority did not align with my understanding of municipal governance. From that day on, we began supporting not OSBs, but regular industrial zones. Thanks to the support we provided to the Akyurt, Kazan, and Hasanoğlan Industrial Sites in the last three years, approximately 30,000 people have been employed and gained a livelihood.”
Following these meetings, Gökçek stated that they began presenting many projects related to Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) to the OSB presidents, and that they were incredibly pleased with this.
