Plaintiff professor elected as mayor

Mayor Kamil Okyay Sındır sued Bornova municipality because of a wedding hall and assembly building, while he filed a case against İzmir municipality because of an underground parking lot project.

The suits were not personal but in the name of the İzmir branch of the Agriculture Engineer’s Chamber, Sındır said. The case against Bornova municipality was not ongoing when Sındır became a candidate.

The case against Bornova municipality was about Büyük [Great] Park. Telling that he was born and grew up in Bornova, Sındır said the park in which he used to play during his childhood gradually lost its green color and environmental health. "Although the park was a protected area and any building was not planned for the area, the former courthouse [in the park] was destroyed and a new building was built. Our objection was against this," he said. The case was dismissed.

The case against İzmir municipality

Although the parking lot was underground, it would negatively affect the environmental balance, Sındır said, highlighting that he is an environmentalist. Sındır said the underground parking lot would create geological and geophysical problems. "The case against İzmir metropolitan municipality is an institutional case too. The complainants were Turkish Union of Engineers’ and Architects’ Chambers, or TMMOB, and its chambers.

This case was dismissed as well as there was public benefit [in building parking lot]. Sındır said his main principle is to evade policies that might harm the environment. "[Mayors] before my term might have a different perspective. This is my perspective. Hereafter I will try to keep that perspective and do what I know as true," he said, adding that what is critical is to be fair while providing municipality services and consider sustainable life.