Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the Board of TARKEM Tunç Soyer, explained the infrastructure and superstructure works carried out in Kemeraltı at the TARKEM General Assembly Meeting, where new board members were determined. Stating that they will invite the people of Izmir to a more beautiful Kemeraltı, with its lighting, canopy and streets completed in the first two stages, in 6 weeks, Mayor Soyer said, “We are planning a magnificent New Year’s Eve celebration. “We will invite people to celebrate at the world’s oldest, largest open-air mall,” he said.
The 2012 Ordinary General Assembly meeting of Tarih Kemeraltı İnşaat Yatırım Ticaret AŞ (TARKEM), which was established in 2022 to protect and develop the historical values and cultural heritage of the city with the cooperation of the public, civil society and private sector under the leadership of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, will be held at Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center. (AASSM) was made. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the Board of TARKEM Tunç SoyerThe members of the board of directors for the new term were announced at the meeting chaired by .
“TARKEM is one of the most efficient structures in Turkey”
The President stated that work is continuing in the Izmir Historical City Center with the aim of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tunç Soyer, “TARKEM is perhaps one of the most productive and most closely monitored structures in Turkey. It has undertaken a very important mission to carry Kemeraltı, the apple of the eye of İzmir, to the coming years and it is a structure that continues its healthy growth day by day. “We would like to thank everyone who worked hard and contributed to this day.”
“We will have a magnificent celebration in Kemeraltı on New Year’s Eve”
Providing information about the work carried out by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in Kemeraltı, Mayor Soyer said: “We are continuing a work we call the Girding Project. Our investment is approximately over 700 million lira. A work in 4 stages. The first 2 stages will be completed in 6 weeks. Afterwards, we will continue to work for the 3rd and 4th stages. The rains coming from Kadifekale and İkiçeşmelik would raid the shops of the tradesmen since Kemeraltı was in the basin position. Now we are continuing a study that will completely eliminate this. We are literally creating underground rivers under the avenues and streets of Kemeraltı. The difficulty is this; Rainwater, waste water, electricity, telephone cables, all of these must continue without being interrupted. That’s why this is a work carried out at night. The first 6 stages will be completed after 2 weeks. Throughout this process, our Kemeraltı Tradesmen Association and our headman gave incredible support. Thank you very much. Again, with their suggestion, we planned the last activity of this year as follows; In Izmir, we would celebrate New Year’s Eve in Cumhuriyet Square and Gündoğdu Square. This year, we will invite the people of Izmir to Kemeraltı.”
“An exemplary model for Türkiye”
Stating that they will include the people of Izmir in a more beautiful Kemeraltı with its lighting, New Year’s decorations, canopy and streets completed in two stages, Mayor Soyer concluded his words as follows: “We have started the preparations. We are planning a magnificent New Year’s Eve celebration. We’ll invite people to celebrate at the world’s oldest, largest outdoor mall. We are waiting for you all in 6 weeks. Kemeraltı is truly the heart of Izmir. It is as if we are giving a massage to this heart together. We open the veins and try to rejuvenate them. “This is a very valuable initiative for Izmir and an exemplary model for Turkey.”
Activity, balance sheet and financial presentation
TARKEM General Manager Sergenç İneler stated that they have created a vision to shape the future of the Kemeraltı region in a bright way and to make Izmir a world-renowned historical center, and conveyed the activity report of 2022. General Manager Sergenç İneler gave examples of the Martyrs’ Relatives and Veterans Guest House, Calm Place Agora, Village Institutes Memorial and Culture House projects that were put into service and stated that Zeybek Memorial House and Cultural Center and Historical Passage Restaurant were ready for opening. İneler also gave information about the ongoing restoration projects in the historical bazaar. A presentation on the balance sheet and financial statements was also made during the session.
New era in TARKEM
At the meeting, the names who will serve on the TARKEM Board of Directors between 2023-2026 were determined. President on the list Tunç Soyer, Alp Avni Yelkenbiçer, Aydın Buğra İlter, Ayşegül Kurtel, Deniz Barçın, Ece Elbirlik Ürkmez, Fadıl Sivri, Hasan Eke, İlknur Rodoplu, İshak Şikar, Necip Kalkan, Salih Özen, Semih Girgin, Serdar Dağstan and Sergenç İneler. Following the General Assembly Meeting, duties were distributed among the new board members.
About TARKE
TARKEM (Tarihi Kemeraltı İnşaat Yatırım Ticaret A.Ş.) partnership consists of 51 percent of the public (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, İzmir Governorship, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Konak Municipality), civil society (İzmir Chamber of Commerce, Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, İzmir Tradesmen and Union of Chambers of Craftsmen, Izmir Commodity Exchange, Aegean Exporters’ Associations, Chamber of Shipping, ESİAD, İZSİAD, EGİAD etc.), operates as a public-private cooperation structure aimed at revitalizing the Kemeraltı and Surroundings (Kemeraltı, Kadifekale, Basmane) Urban Renewal Area, consisting of 49 partners, 176 percent of whom are people who have devoted themselves to Izmir and Kemeraltı.
A protocol was signed between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums and TARKEM on 14 May 2020, regarding the preparation of the Area Management Plan and UNESCO World Heritage List candidacy file of the Izmir Historical Port City, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 5 April 2020. signed. In accordance with this protocol, TARKEM has become the authorized institution for the preparation of the Area Management Plan of Izmir Historical Port City and the candidacy file for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Work on 22 buildings continues
TARKEM is carrying out works on 19 buildings within the scope of a total of 22 real estate projects in order to protect the urban values in the Kemeraltı and Surroundings Urban Renewal Area and to integrate them into the society. The project focused its work on 19 regions, namely Basmane Region, Kestelli Region and Havralar Region, which were selected from 3 sub-regions determined in the Izmir Historical City Center.
Openings of the Tranquil Place AGORA, Martyr Relatives and Veterans Guest House and Village Institutes Memorial and Culture House, which were put into service by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality as of October 2023. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TARKEM Tunç Soyer It was done by.
The Historical Arcade Restaurant and Zeybek Memorial House and Cultural Center will be opened by the end of 2023. Currently, 5 restoration applications are ongoing in the Historical City Center. It is aimed to complete the restoration applications in 2024 and to bring the region to life with appropriate functions such as passage restaurants, guest houses, museums, memorial houses and offices. It is planned to complete the restoration of 2025 more buildings by the end of 7.
Source: Railly News