Message from Kaleiçi to the world
With the call of ICLEI Member Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality (Turkey), 52 cities from 27 countries came together for Kaleiçi Old Town Forum-2022 to sign the declaration titled “Environmentally Friendly Municipal Practices for Sustainable Tourism in Living Old Towns”.
Kaleiçi Old Town Forum-2022 was held at the Türkan Şoray Cultural Center of the municipality as part of the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, the 7th of which was held this year by the Muratpaşa Municipality. The Forum convened with the participation of 52 cities from 27 countries from the Balkans to Europe, from North Africa to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, to the island countries of the TRNC, Malta and Ireland.
The forum, which started with the presentation of Mayor Ümit Uysal, was held this year with the title of “Environmentally Friendly Municipal Practices for Sustainable Tourism in Living Old Towns”. In the forum, cities shared their work and projects in their historical city centers and archaeological heritage sites.
After the presentations, Mayor Uysal announced the Kaleiçi Old Town Forum-2022 declaration, which is the commitment of cities towards the environment and cultural integrity. Mayor Uysal stated that the text will be shared with relevant institutions and organizations, especially the UN and UNESCO. The announced declaration was accepted unanimously and was signed by all cities with a ceremony.
The declaration, which offers policy recommendations on topics such as the seasonal structure of the tourism sector, rapidly depleting water resources, greenhouse gas emissions caused by energy sources used for transportation, heating, cooling and lighting, collection and disposal of liquid and solid waste, and consumption culture, included the following statements:
“Historic urban centers should be combined with a local development model that will enable activities in different areas of life to be experienced in a satisfying, in-depth and correct pace, stimulate the senses of their visitors, and preserve local identity, biodiversity and natural environment.”
