Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) continues to strengthen its understanding of social municipality. In this context, it opened the 17th City Restaurant in Silivri Alibey Neighborhood. The opening ceremony turned into a mini rally with the intense interest of the citizens. Union of Turkish Municipalities (TBB) and IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu Addressing the citizens, Silivri Mayor Bora Balcıoğlu emphasized the importance of these projects in increasing social assistance and solidarity.
The Importance of City Restaurants
IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, in his speech at the opening, stated that Kent Restaurants are not just businesses that provide food services, but also an important project that supports social justice and equality. Stating that a total of 17 million people have eaten at Kent Restaurants opened in 5 different locations to date, İmamoğlu stated that these projects provide economic relief to low-income citizens.
Stating that City Restaurants have a great meaning for retirees, students, the unemployed and low-income citizens who are in financial difficulties, İmamoğlu described this project as a “mega project.” Because these restaurants provide equal service to all segments of society and take an important step towards reducing injustices in income distribution.
Contribution to Women's Employment
IMM’s Kent Lokantaları not only offer affordable meals, but also contribute to women’s employment. As İmamoğlu emphasized, only women work at Kent Lokantaları. This encourages women to participate more in the workforce, and is also considered an important step in terms of gender equality.
This practice, which helps women gain their economic independence, stands out as an important indicator of the social municipality approach. This initiative of IMM ensures that women take a greater place in business life and raises awareness about gender equality.
Urban Restaurants and Social Justice
Ekrem İmamoğluStating that City Restaurants are also an indicator of social justice, he said, “There is no profit or partisanship in these restaurants. Every citizen who comes here comes to get what is rightfully theirs.” İmamoğlu emphasized that in a period when economic injustices are increasing, the role of the state and municipalities in meeting the basic needs of citizens has become more important.
Stating that City Restaurants are an important service to reduce income inequality in society and ensure everyone has access to affordable, healthy food, İmamoğlu announced that these projects will be expanded further. In this way, it is aimed for more citizens to benefit from this service.
Economic Crisis and City Restaurants
The increasing economic difficulties in Turkey are especially challenging for low-income citizens. At this point, Kent Restaurants offer a great solution for citizens who are in financial difficulty. Thanks to the affordable food service, these restaurants have become an important need, especially for retirees and students.
İmamoğlu said, “Those who govern the country today are taking away my rights, but IMM is giving me my rights,” and added that these projects not only provide a food service, but also strengthen social solidarity. This initiative by IMM helps reduce income inequality in society and helps citizens access their basic rights more easily.
The Future of Urban Restaurants
According to İmamoğlu's statements, the number of Kent Restaurants will increase even more in the coming period. With the new Kent Restaurants planned to be opened in different districts of Istanbul, more citizens will be provided with access to affordable, healthy and reliable food services.
In addition, these projects are expected to be examples for other municipalities. The City Restaurants model, which IMM has implemented within the framework of its social municipality approach, is seen as a model that can be applied in other cities in Turkey. In this way, social justice and economic solidarity can be spread to a wider area.
The City Restaurants, which were brought to life by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, are not only places that provide food services, but are also seen as symbols of social justice, women's employment and economic equality. The opening of the 17th City Restaurant in Silivri was an indication of how important and necessary these projects are.
These restaurants, which attract great interest from citizens, play a major role in meeting the basic needs of the people in an economic crisis. These projects of IMM are considered to be one of the best examples of the social municipality approach and are expected to be expanded further in the coming period.
