Within the framework of the Türkiye-EU financial
cooperation, under the Sectoral Operational Programme for Transport (USOP)
managed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and as part of Lot 3
(Electric Bus and Charging Station) of the Supply of Equipment for Mersin ITS
SAP Project, in which Mersin Metropolitan Municipality is the End Recipient of
Assistance, 17 electric buses and 14 charging stations have been added to the
Mersin Metropolitan Municipality fleet.
On 31 October 2025 the inauguration
ceremony held at the MEŞOT Public Transport Campus in Mersin was attended by
Mayor of the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mr. Vahap Seçer, Head of Cooperation
Section of the EU Delegation to Türkiye Maria Luisa Wyganowski, Transport
Sector Manager Dr. Göktuğ Kara, representatives of the Ministry of Transport
and Infrastructure, Karsan Automotive Deputy General Manager of Commercial
Sales Muzaffer Arpacıoğlu, Karsan Automotive representatives, members of
parliament, district mayors, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality staff, and
numerous citizens.
During the ceremony, Mersin Metropolitan
Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer, EU Delegation to Türkiye representative Maria
Luisa Wyganowski, and Karsan representative Muzaffer Arpacıoğlu delivered
speeches. The speeches emphasized the importance of sustainability in urban
transportation and the role of environmentally friendly, zero-emission electric
buses in achieving this goal.
Following the speeches, a symbolic vehicle key
handover ceremony took place on stage. Mayor Seçer also took the driver’s seat
of one of the newly introduced electric buses and performed a test drive. Prior
to the ceremony, a city tour was organized with the electric buses to introduce
the newly added vehicles to Mersin citizens.