Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak took part in the session titled “Post-Conflict Recovery Planning for Local Development” held within the framework of the UCLG-MEWA Congress in Konya, and stated:

“We are striving to nurture the seeds of peace in Diyarbakır through our everyday municipal services.”

Co-Mayor Bucak attended the high-level session, organised as part of the 2025 Congress of the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA), hosted by Konya Metropolitan Municipality.

“Peace Policies Can No Longer Be Deferred”

Addressing the participants, Co-Mayor Bucak began by expressing her greetings and emphasised the significance of coming together to discuss peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery. She noted that the Middle East and West Asia region continues to be shaken by deep humanitarian crises:

“The ongoing genocide in Gaza, the long-standing political and economic crises in Lebanon, the civil war in Syria that has displaced millions for over a decade, the unending reconstruction struggles in Iraq, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen — all demonstrate the urgent and undeniable need for peace policies built locally, rooted in multiculturalism, decentralisation, democratic values, and dialogue.

While these crises disrupt daily life, the struggle for survival among peoples reminds local governments of their vital responsibilities.”

“We Can Build Peace”

Co-Mayor Serra Bucak stated that these painful experiences have shown them that post-conflict recovery planning is not merely about rebuilding damaged structures or restoring infrastructure. She continued:

“For our societies to recover, we must simultaneously strengthen the social fabric, establish inclusive governance, and build long-term resilience.

In other words, we can build peace by coming together, by learning to stand side by side despite our differences, by rebuilding trust among one another, and by collectively safeguarding each individual’s rights and freedoms — while also upholding gender equality and respecting women’s representation.”

“Local Governments Are Key Actors in This Process”

Emphasising the vital importance of community-based development approaches, Co-Mayor Bucak said:

“Local governments are key actors in this process, as we are the ones who know our communities best and can provide the most rapid and inclusive responses to their needs.

As the administrative bodies closest to the people, it is our duty to ensure that national and international efforts are effectively reflected at the local level.

As highlighted in the concept note prepared by UCLG-MEWA, we are gathered here today to strengthen local peacebuilding and to share good practices in this field.”

“A Twelve-Thousand-Year-Old Ancient City”

Speaking as the Co-Mayor of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, Serra Bucak stated that their own experiences have proven the validity of these principles:

“In Diyarbakır, we are striving to nurture the seeds of peace through our everyday municipal services. We know very well that peace can only be achieved through public participation — by listening to the people’s voices and responding to their needs.

Decades of conflict have profoundly affected our city in sociological, psychological, economic, and legal terms. Parents lost their children; people lost their spouses and loved ones. The tragedies that our neighbours in other geographies are living through today have also been part of our own past. Many young people came close to losing their hope.

Despite all these hardships, the people of Diyarbakır have always kept their longing for peace alive. This ancient city of twelve thousand years, Diyarbakır, is a cultural treasure where different cultures, faiths, and identities have coexisted — a city shaped by the traces of Kurds, Turks, Armenians, Syriacs, and many other peoples and beliefs.

We want to hold on to those traces — not to deny them, but to embrace the cultural heritage they have created. As a municipality, we base our local governance policies on this social, cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity, working to preserve and sustain this richness. The essence of coexistence lies precisely in this pluralism — in mutual respect and living together in harmony.”

Multilingual Municipalism

Emphasising that a multilingual approach to municipal governance is an essential principle in building a peaceful society, Co-Mayor Serra Bucak said:

“We are expanding the provision of municipal services in people’s mother tongues to ensure that residents do not face language barriers when accessing public services.

For example, we have recently launched our 153 Call Centre service in Kurdish for the first time. Citizens can now easily express their complaints, requests, and suggestions in their own language — receiving responses in Kurdish. This may seem like a small step, but in fact, it is a highly significant one that strengthens trust and the sense of belonging.

Our call centre staff respond to incoming calls in Kurdish, allowing citizens to say, ‘I can express myself in my own language.’ We have started with the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish, but we will soon expand the service to include Zazaki, Arabic, and English.

Our aim is to ensure that everyone in this city can access services in the language in which they feel most comfortable expressing themselves. Because we know that language gives people identity and dignity — and the ability to communicate in one’s mother tongue is one of the fundamental conditions for living together in peace.”

“When Women Win, Peace Wins”

Highlighting that gender equality is the most crucial stage in building social peace, Co-Mayor Serra Bucak underlined that empowering women and young people is an indispensable part of peacebuilding. She noted that significant and concrete steps have been taken in this regard in Diyarbakır:

“First of all, we have reopened our key women’s centre, DİKASUM, which had been shut down during the period of state-appointed trustees. This centre, along with our Alo Şiddet hotline, is dedicated to combating violence against women and developing gender-sensitive policies.

We have also re-established the Women’s Assembly within our Municipality. A Women’s Assembly has been formed within the Diyarbakır City Council, allowing women to have a direct voice in the governance of the city.

We say: If women lose, society cannot win. When women win, peace wins.

Therefore, ensuring women’s equal participation in decision-making and working with the principle of equal representation at every level are our fundamental commitments.

We have strengthened women’s units within our Municipality and organised community-based women’s meetings across neighbourhoods. Through vocational training courses and counselling services for women affected by violence, we are implementing a wide range of projects to enhance women’s social and economic empowerment.

We truly believe that a city where women are strong will take the most solid steps on the path to peace.”

“We Strive to Create Opportunities for Young People”

Stating that “our young people are our future and the hope of tomorrow,” Co-Mayor Serra Bucak noted that during times of conflict, it is often the youth who pay the highest price. She said:

“We cannot afford to lose another century for our young people. Supporting youth is one of the most important responsibilities of local governments. In Diyarbakır, we are working to create safe spaces and opportunities for young people. We are opening youth centres across our districts and supporting sports and cultural activities. We are doing everything within our means to help our youth develop their skills, express their talents, and thrive in the fields of education, culture, and the arts.”

“We Listen to the People’s Voices”

Touching on efforts to enhance the participation of marginalised groups in social life, Co-Mayor Bucak continued:

“In Diyarbakır, we attach great importance to combating poverty and strengthening social solidarity. We are improving access to municipal services for persons with disabilities through dedicated centres and accessible transport projects. We are also opening nurseries and playhouses for children.

For children and families who have experienced or witnessed the traumas of conflict, we provide psycho-social support.

At the neighbourhood level, we hold neighbourhood assemblies and community meetings, enabling residents to discuss their problems collectively and develop solutions together. Many of our decisions are shaped through public consultations — for example, when planning urban renewal projects or building new parks, we first seek the opinions of local residents.

We also hold sessions of the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipal Council open to the public from time to time. The more people are involved in decisions about their own future, the more the walls between us come down — and trust begins to be built. Building trust is perhaps the most difficult, yet the most essential, task in the post-conflict period.”

“We Can Develop Joint Projects”

Emphasising the need to strengthen networks for fair resource distribution, technical support, and the exchange of good practices, Co-Mayor Serra Bucak stated:

“This is precisely why UCLG-MEWA is such a valuable platform. As municipalities, we move forward by learning from one another. The more we share our experiences, the faster we can advance towards our goal of sustainable and inclusive peace.

As cities within the MEWA region, we can develop joint projects and offer mutual support whenever needed.”

Local Democracy

Highlighting the importance of strengthening local democracy, Co-Mayor Bucak continued:

“For peacebuilding to be possible, local governments must be aligned with the will of the people and must remain accountable.

Elected officials should only leave office through the consent of the electorate. Unfortunately, I and many other elected mayors have in the past faced practices that disregarded the people’s will.

Yet, we continue to uphold one clear principle: those who are elected must only be removed through elections. The people’s will is our guiding star — one we will never lose sight of.

If democratic principles are ignored in the governance and election of local administrations, peace efforts are gravely undermined. Fair and democratic governance and peace are two sides of the same coin.

Therefore, we call on central governments to adopt policies that amplify — not silence — the voice of local communities, and that expand rather than restrict local powers.

Only then can local governments play a full and effective role in post-conflict recovery, in building sustainable peace, and in establishing a fair, rights-based economy and way of life.

As mayors, our responsibilities are great — but when our powers and resources are limited, creating meaningful impact becomes difficult. However, as the institutions closest to the people, we know that when we are properly supported, we can achieve miracles. We have witnessed this in many examples across our region.”

“Imagine Peace”

Calling for a future in which the cities of the Middle East and West Asia are remembered not for wars but for prosperity and solidarity in peace, Co-Mayor Serra Bucak said:

“This vision is not impossible. It takes shape in the vision of us — the local leaders gathered here today. Peace begins in cities — in neighbourhoods, in local assemblies, through steps that may seem small but have a powerful ripple effect.

With every sapling we plant, we give breath to peace; with every cultural centre we open, we build bridges between people; with every service we offer in a different language, we show that diversity can coexist in harmony.”

“Hope Is the Greatest Form of Resistance”

Calling for the building of a bridge of peace stretching from Diyarbakır to Konya, and from Konya to Gaza, Co-Mayor Bucak continued:

“As we understand one another, share our pain, and create solutions together, the days will come when peace replaces war. Hope is the greatest form of resistance.

As local leaders, we will continue to be hopeful and to support those who keep hope alive. Our people expect not only services from us but also hope — and we will do everything within our power not to let that hope fade.

Let us stand united to build a sustainable and inclusive social peace for everyone. Let us make our cities the centres of peace and of a just and free coexistence. With faith, love, and patience, I am certain that we can achieve this.”