ALP KARGI

Social, Economic And Environmental Transformation In Local Governments

Abstract

Local governments are comprised of institutions such as municipalities, provincial special administrations, institutions affiliated with municipalities, local government unions, and development agencies. When we refer to local government, municipalities are the first institutions that come to mind. According to Law No. 5393 on Municipalities, municipalities are defined as “public legal entities with administrative and financial autonomy, established to meet the local common needs of the residents of the town and formed by the voters through elections.” The local common needs mentioned in this law vary depending on the environmental, social, and economic conditions of the area.

In today’s societies, a governance approach primarily focused on humans should be adopted. Services should be provided impartially without making any distinctions based on language, religion, belief, political thought, race, age, disability, or gender. Individuals should be evaluated as a whole, and governance should be provided equally. Especially, care should be taken to protect the fundamental rights of children, disabled individuals, and women, and gender equality should be supported. In this context, Merzifon Municipality has prepared its “Local Equality Action Plan” and conducts its practices within this framework.

Changing climate conditions affect the entire world, and they also affect Merzifon. Irregularities in rainfall patterns, sudden floods, increasing drought, decreasing water sources, and seasonal changes are observed changes in Merzifon. While local governments combat the current needs and challenges of the people, they also need to prepare their cities for the future. Merzifon Municipality, prioritizing environmental sensitivity, has taken strict measures and prepared a “Carbon Footprint Report” to leave a more livable world for future generations.

Ensuring the sustainability of the expanding vision through the Carbon Footprint Report is also important. Preparing the city for the future begins with redefining the city’s strategic plan. Taking measures related to climate change and acting in accordance with the zero-emission target has revealed the necessity of preparing a sustainability report. In this regard, the recommendations of the Merzifon Carbon Footprint Report have been developed to create the “Merzifon Municipality Sustainability Report.”

Anticipating the fact that the European Union will not provide any funding or grants to municipalities without local equality action plans, carbon footprint reports, and sustainability reports within a few years, Merzifon Municipality sets an example for local governments as one of the few and pioneering municipalities that have already met these criteria with real calculations and completed these criteria now.

Biography

Alp KARGI was born in Merzifon on 14.11.1972. He completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in Merzifon.

In 1996, he graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Firat University. He completed his military service as a reserve officer in Adana under the Ministry of National Defense Central Supply Region Directorate. In 1998, he started working as a freelance veterinarian in Merzifon.

He became the Mayor of Merzifon by winning the local elections on 30.03.2014. He was re-elected as the Mayor of Merzifon in the local elections on 31.03.2019 and 31.03.2024. He is married to Suna KARGI and has two children named Yiğit and Zeynep.