The executive board’s October session was held at the City Council building under the chairmanship of newly elected City Council Co-Chairs Dilan Aydın and Serdar Keskin, alongside board members.

Review of September activities and future agenda

Following the announcement that Dilan Aydın had been elected Co-Chair on the nomination of women’s civil society organisations, board members were briefed on the council’s operations throughout September. Discussions also focused on plans to expand the executive board and prepare forthcoming projects.

The board further reviewed proposals to launch a structural assessment aimed at enhancing the council’s internal functioning and institutional capacity, evaluating recommendations to ensure more effective and streamlined operations.

Co-Mayor Bucak highlights the council's civic foundation

Addressing the meeting, Co-Mayor Serra Bucak expressed her satisfaction in handing over leadership to newly elected Co-Chairs Serdar Keskin and Dilan Aydın. Emphasising that Diyarbakır City Council possesses a profound civic heritage alongside an inclusive model reaching down into neighbourhood assemblies, Bucak noted that a broader, more representative executive board would positively enhance the quality of council initiatives.

Stressing that the Metropolitan Municipality would continue to provide full support and serve as a facilitator, Co-Mayor Bucak stated:

“We recognise the immense value of the City Council—its diversity, the debates it will lead across all urban issues, and the collaborative projects, initiatives, public statements, and agenda items that emerge from those deliberations. Day by day, the necessity of such a civic framework becomes ever more apparent to us. I am fully confident that our civic assemblies will remain active and diligent, engaging intensively with local authorities, public bodies, and central government departments across every aspect of urban life. There is an urgent, undeniable need for this engagement.”

Peace Studies and Practice Unit to be launched

Wishing the City Council well in its new headquarters, Co-Mayor Bucak announced that a dedicated "Peace Studies and Practice Unit" will soon open on the building's upper floor. Gaining momentum after the Social Peace and Freedom Forum held in May, this initiative seeks to expand institutional capacity across local authorities while embedding the theme of peace as a core pillar of civic life and municipal administration.

Keskin underscores tradition of solidarity and cultural heritage

City Council Co-Chair Serdar Keskin marked the start of the new term, remarking:

“I hope this period, for which we share collective responsibility, brings positive outcomes for all of us. Diyarbakır has seen uninterrupted life for thousands of years. This continuity is not solely due to favourable geographical or physical conditions, but is a testament to our cultural richness and deep-rooted tradition of solidarity. We have assumed the duty and responsibility of safeguarding this heritage and the enduring culture of solidarity entrusted to us.”