Speaking at the launch of the “Bismil Self-Sufficient in Agriculture” project, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak said that Mesopotamia is a fertile geography that has nourished people for thousands of years, stressing that production in harmony with nature is of vital importance.

The launch meeting for the “Bismil Self-Sufficient in Agriculture” project, implemented by Bismil Municipality with co-financing from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the Presidency of Climate Change, and the European Union (EU), was held at the Çand Amed Culture and Congress Centre.

Attendees included Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak, Bismil Municipality Co-Mayors Mizgin Ekin and Güven Tanrıkulu, co-mayors of district municipalities, DİSKİ Director General Mehmet Şerifoğlu, Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DTSO) Board Member Çetin İnanç, and local residents.

Speaking at the opening of the programme, Erdoğan Karaca, Climate Expert at the Presidency of Climate Change, said that the project, supported under a grant programme carried out jointly with the European Union, would make an important contribution to local implementation.

‘A strategic initiative has been launched’

Bismil Municipality Co-Mayors Mizgin Ekin and Güven Tanrıkulu said that a strategic initiative had been launched to protect Bismil’s land and future. Stressing that Bismil lies at the heart of Mesopotamia but is now facing serious challenges due to climate change, they said: “Climate change is a reality we feel in our farmers’ harvests and in the water flowing from our taps. We want to build a city that is resilient in the face of the climate crisis. Through this project, we want to show together that we do not have to fight nature, but can live in harmony with it.”

Co-Mayor Bucak Calls for a Stronger Response to the Climate Crisis

Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak also drew attention to the importance of adopting the right stance, both globally and at the city level, in the face of the destruction caused by the climate crisis. Emphasising that Mesopotamia is a fertile geography that has sustained people for thousands of years, Co-Mayor Bucak said it is of vital importance to preserve the relationship between people and ecology and to bring urban production into harmony with nature.

Co-Mayor Bucak continued: “For many years, we have stressed how important it is to uphold an understanding of nature conservation for a society that can feed itself, produce on its own land and sustain its life. The work carried out by locally elected administrations on the basis of the city’s needs, together with the public and producers, through a participatory, transparent and pluralistic approach, is extremely valuable. I hope this project will also pave the way for new agricultural initiatives in our region.”

Project objective

The project aims to strengthen local capacity in agricultural production and establish a production model that is resilient to the climate crisis. It is also expected to bring together public institutions, local authorities and professional organisations.