Türkiye will go to the polls on March 31 to elect mayors in 81 provinces. But all eyes will be on Istanbul, the country’s most populated and fabled city. Former Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum will compete against incumbent Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

As the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) candidate, Kurum aims to end Imamoğlu’s tenure that started in 2019 and restore the long-running reign of the city to the AK Party, which is credited with transforming Istanbul over the past two decades with late Mayor Kadir Topbaş.

Kurum’s election campaign is summed up as "Siztem Istanbul," a wordplay on the Turkish word for "system" that embraces "siz" ("you" in Turkish). "Siz" is also used as a suffix in Turkish and means "less or free" and this use figures prominently in Kurum’s vision, from "risk-less" Istanbul to "traffic-free" Istanbul.

Kurum met with editors-in-chief of prominent newspapers, news websites and representatives of broadcasters, including Daily Sabah Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Altay, on Thursday to explain his projects. He said that they will prioritize citizens "who will not be ‘listeners’ of what the mayor has to say but rather, stakeholders of Istanbul, a part of management." The candidate criticized his rival who turned to a PR campaign rather than "real services" and promised to replace this mindset.

"People are weary of chaos in Istanbul but we also see people are hopeful for (a change)," he said. Kurum said he heeded the problems and complaints of every citizen.

Ending traffic woes

Traffic congestion is one of the major issues in the city of more than 15 million people. Easing traffic is not an easy task but alleviating the snarls requires a mix of solutions, primarily, expanding the mass transportation network of the city straddling between Europe and Asia. Kurum’s campaign promises to double rail systems stretching across the city in five years and extend their total length to 1,004 kilometers (625 miles) in a decade.

New metro lines and extensions of the existing ones will cover two sides of the city. These include a metro line between the Incirli-Gayrettepe route on the European side to Söğütlüçeşme on the Asian side, which will stretch for 28 kilometers. Another metro line will take commuters from the Sefaköy-Avcılar route to Beylikdüzü-Tüyap and will have a length of 18 kilometers. A 14.2-kilometer metro line will be constructed between Yenikapı and Sefaköy. Shorter routes, including a 6-kilometer line between Sabiha Gökçen Airport and the Kurtköy district and another 5.4-kilometer line between Sultanbeyli and Kurtköy will also be built.

Two large tunnels whose total length will be 122.2 kilometers will also be built on each side of the city to ease the traffic. On the European side, a 88.2-kilometer tunnel will be built while another at a length of 34 kilometers will be constructed on the Asian side.

Kurum’s campaign promises the construction of tunnels whose total length will be 47.5 kilometers within five years, including a tunnel between Çayırbaşı and Dolmabahçe, another between Kağıthane and Bayrampaşa and a tunnel between Yenisahra and Bostancı. They will respectively cut travel times by 15 and 10 minutes each and will significantly cut carbon emissions. By 2034, Kurum promises to complete the construction of tunnels comprising 74.7 kilometers in total.

Another project involves the construction of 20 multilevel junctions and 151 junctions crisscrossing the city’s congested areas.

The main bus stations in Esenler and Harem on the European and Asian sides, respectively, will also be relocated in a bid to alleviate traffic jams, and six new logistics hubs will be built in the city.

The rapid bus transit line known as "Metrobus" will be stretched toward the far-flung district of Silivri on Istanbul’s European side. Currently, the route ends in Beylikdüzü and with the extended line, travel time between Silivri and Beylikdüzü will be cut by 18 minutes. The municipality will also acquire 100 new Metrobuses and 250 new buses every year to accommodate the increasing number of commuters.

Apart from travel, finding a parking space is a headache for Istanbulites. Kurum pledges a 25% discount on parking lots operated by the municipality and building parking lots that can accommodate a total of 250,000 vehicles, within the next five years.

The maritime transportation network will also be doubled. Three new maritime lines will be introduced.

Bicycle lanes in the city will also be expanded and will reach 1,500 kilometers within a decade.

Risk-free Istanbul

Kurum relies on his experience in post-disaster reconstruction as he has overseen the rebuilding of cities after floods and earthquakes in the past. Experts often warn that Istanbul will likely experience a major earthquake in the coming years as it is located near major fault lines. Kurum’s campaign promises the removal of all buildings at risk of damage and the construction of 650,000 housing units instead of old buildings that cannot endure disasters. The project, part of a nationwide urban transformation campaign, will see half of the expenses in the renewal or reconstruction of buildings covered by the municipality. The municipality will provide TL 700,000 ($22,870) in grant form and another TL 700,000 for a loan per house, as well as TL 100,000 financial assistance for rent and moving expenses for house owners whose houses will be rebuilt elsewhere. Some 250,000 houses will be "transformed on site."

The municipality will also construct 100,000 social housing units that will be completed in 18 months and will be rented to the city’s residents in 39 districts.

An ambitious project for urban transformation will involve the construction of buildings with fewer floors and larger social and green spaces.

An integrated disaster management system will be launched. It will include analysis, data analytics, a digital "twin" model of the city for better disaster response, a risk monitoring system, early warning systems and employment of artificial intelligence for disaster management. A disaster management center will be established and temporary living spaces as a measure for post-disaster accommodation will be set up in all districts. They will accommodate some 2 million people. Istanbul will have seven disaster logistics centers instead of one for rapid response to disasters. Nine "disaster intervention centers" will be established. On two sides of the city, two new emergency hospitals will be built.

Along with hospitals, the municipality will build eight new centers for people accompanying in-patients at hospitals on both sides of Istanbul that will offer free accommodation.

Standing with people

Kurum’s projects offer something for everyone, from women and children to the youth and the elderly alike.

Every neighborhood will have kindergartens open around the clock, while parents with children up to the age of 6 will be offered free passes for mass transportation.

TL 100,000 grants will be delivered to 100,000 female entrepreneurs to encourage women’s employment. Kurum also promises "fair" billing for water use based on the size of each household.

For children, Kurum’s campaign offers school meal support, free mass transportation for primary school students, and security and hygiene support to schools.

For youth, a 40% discount will be offered in mass transportation. Other discounts will also be available in municipality-run social and sports facilities. University students will receive financial support for intercity travel. Kurum also offers free limited natural gas for houses where students stay. For prospective couples, the municipality will deliver TL 50,000 grants after their wedding. Young entrepreneurs will also be granted TL 100,000 for their first startups.

Teachers will also be offered discount travel on mass transportation.

The municipality will provide shared office spaces for 100,000 people. Social assistance projects and part-time employment options will allow Istanbulites to earn at least TL 200 daily. University students will be entitled to education assistance worth TL 10,000.

Pensioners will be granted TL 2,500 monthly. The municipality will also establish three major centers for the care of the elderly and disabled people. A health monitoring system will be set up for Istanbul residents above the age of 75, while the municipality will provide meals and cleaning services for free for the elderly.

A rehabilitation center for addicts, and 10 new living centers for people with disabilities will also be established. Kurum also pledged more employment for people with disabilities.

Istanbulites will be offered job training for free.

Water management

The city faced an alarming drought last year and recent precipitation alleviated its concerns. But the city still needs what Kurum’s campaign calls sustainable water management.

Kurum promised to completely eliminate the water issue and pledged to increase the city’s water storage capacity by 21%. Six new dams for drinking water will be built, while old water supply lines will be renovated and a 700-kilometer water supply line will be constructed.

Nine new advanced biological wastewater treatment facilities will be constructed, and wastewater contamination of the Marmara Sea will be prevented.

A cleaner, greener city

Kurum, who oversaw a nationwide "zero waste" recycling program, also pledges a climate-friendly city. Every district will have a recycling center and the municipality will invest in renewable energy sources. By 2040, Istanbul will have net-zero emissions.

The candidate also promises to increase the size of green spaces per person, from 7.80 square meters to 11.80 square meters.

Every district of the city will have a "public garden," large parks that are being built in other cities as well.

An "Istanbul Botanical Garden," double the size of the total area of London's Hyde Park and New York City's Central Park, will be built. The main intercity bus station in Esenler will be converted into a large park.

Preserving the legacy

The campaign promises both to safeguard the ancient sites of Istanbul, known for historic landmarks dating back to Ottoman and pre-Ottoman times and to give a facelift to iconic sites.

A new pedestrianized area in Eminönü, near the Spice Bazaar, will be renovated, along with other historic sites, from Fatih Mosque to Ordu Street and Çemberlitaş Square near the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet Square, home of Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.

City of culture, arts, tourism

Istanbul is already a hub of culture and arts and draws a large number of tourists every year. Kurum promises to build on the city’s fame in this area. His plans include new international festivals and education assistance for young artists both in Türkiye and for their training abroad. A fair and congress center will be opened on the Asian side.

A cultural planning scheme will be in the works for the city and Kurum promises to increase the city’s tourism potential.

Safer streets

Stray dogs are a major issue and often make headlines for attacks on people. Istanbul is home to some 300,000 stray dogs, while animal shelters have a capacity of only 17,000 animals. Animal hospitals are also not sufficient, while the municipality’s sterilization of stray animals is insufficient, according to Kurum’s campaign.

Kurum pledged to establish animal shelters in all 39 districts of the city. Two major shelters with a capacity of 50,000 animals will be built on both sides of the city.

‘Digital’ Istanbul

The municipality will establish an Information Technology and Management Center of BYTE Istanbul and will expand e-governance services.

The municipality’s hotline will be upgraded to a digital service where Istanbulites can convey their problems regarding the city’s issues or can make suggestions. A digital service will facilitate finding parking spaces for drivers.

The municipality will also introduce a new app for easy access for commuters to all means of mass transportation.

City of sports

The campaign pledges to make Istanbul the host of the 2036 Olympics. The municipality will complete the construction of Olympic facilities within five years.

Kurum also promises support for amateur sports clubs in the city, which is already home to major clubs like Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş.

The municipality will also host Istanbul Cup events in all fields of sports.