The
Closing Event of the SMART Ankara Project, which is co-financed by the EU under
the Sectoral Operational Programme for Transport (USOP) managed by the Ministry
of Transport and Infrastructure, was held on 9 July 2025.
The
event was initiated with opening remarks by Mansur Yavaş, Mayor of
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality; Jean Barbe, Head of Section at the European
Union Delegation to Türkiye; Tijen İğci (PhD), Head of Department for EU
Investments at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure; and Hipolit
Gabalda, Vice President of DAI Global.
The event was attended by Adem
Yılgın, Director General of EGO; Buğra Özkan, Head of the Transportation
Technologies Department at EGO General Directorate; Ceren Boztepe, Projects
Branch Manager; Dr. Göktuğ Kara, Transport Sector Manager at the Delegation of
the European Union to Türkiye; officials from Ankara Metropolitan Municipality
and EGO General Directorate; stakeholders; various related institutions and
organizations; NGOs; and project experts.
Project
results and achievements were presented by SMART Ankara Project Technical
Support Team Leader Kristina Gauce (PhD).
Following
the presentation, three panel sessions on the topics of Financing of
Implementation of SUMPs in Türkiye, Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts
of SUMP for Ankara, and Lessons Learned from SUMPs in Türkiye were held with
participation of experts.
The
SMART Ankara Project "Sustainable Urban Transport Plan (SUMP)"
Closing Event provided opportunities for stakeholders and the people of Ankara
to learn about SUMP’s outcomes and engage in collaborative discussion and
exchange on how to implement sustainable urban transport strategies.
The
first panel focused on the topic of "Financing of Implementation of SUMPs
in Türkiye." In the panel, Cem Ocak (Principal Banker, EBRD), Deniz Karaer
(Urban Planner, ILBANK International Relations Department), Sergi Sauri Marchan
(PhD) (Director, Centre for Innovation in Transport- CENIT), and Ersoy Pehlivan
(Senior Urban Planner, SMART Ankara Project) shared their knowledge and
experience. The session was moderated by Göktuğ Kara (PhD), Transport Sector
Manager at the EU Delegation to Türkiye.
The
second panel focused on "Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts of
SUMP for Ankara." In the panel, Kristina Gauce (PhD) (Team Leader, SMART
Ankara Project), Sergi Sauri Marchan (PhD) (Director, Centre for Innovation in Transport-
CENIT), Ersoy Pehlivan (Senior Urban Planner, SMART Ankara Project), Murat Görücü
(Chairman, Ankara City Council Cycling Assembly), and Linda Nihan Lafcı
(Secretary General, Ankara City Council Cycling Assembly) shared their
knowledge and experience. The session was moderated by Communication Expert Eda
Zaloğlu.
The
third panel covered the topic "Lessons Learned from SUMPs in
Türkiye." In the panel, Volkan Recai Çetin (PhD) (Team Leader, Union of
Municipalities of Türkiye – Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Project), Haluk CamcıgilL
(Key Expert, Istanbul Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan- SUMP), Erden Şahin
(Technical Coordinator, Düzce Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan- SUMP), and Gökhan
Menteş (Senior Urban Planning Expert, SMART Ankara Project) shared their
knowledge and experience. The session was moderated by Işın GÜREL,
Communication Expert at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.