UITP Turkey Liaison Office

The launch of the UITP Turkey Liaison Office

On 5 July 2007, UITP opened a liaison office in Istanbul, Turkey, to be hosted by Istanbul Ulasim. Turkey is widely recognised as the bridge between Europe and the Middle East, so the opening of the Istanbul office is of strategic importance for the Association.

Taking into consideration the specific needs of its Turkish members, the liaison office will allow better serving and supporting UITP members from Turkey. The liaison office guarantees UITP’s presence in the country and establishes a direct link between Turkey and the main office in Brussels.

What are its principal goals?

Topics of particular interest to Turkey that will be addressed by UITP include state-of-the-art methods of financing public transport operation and development, ticketing and fare integration, effective management structures, passenger information, and light rail.

Indeed, one of the notable developments in Turkish public transport in recent years is the light rail ‘revival’. After almost 30 years without any trams, many cities are now operating, constructing or planning light rail systems, usually with modern low-floor vehicles and of a high level. The light rail network of Istanbul, established in 1989, won the best large-scale tram management award in 2005.

In fostering a greatly increased interest, UITP is operating with the following objectives:

     • Gather members of the country
     • Foster exchange of knowledge
     • Increase the participation of Turkish members in UITP activities

Süleyman Pektaş, General Manager of Istanbul Ulasim, at the opening ceremony of UITP Turkey Liaison Office

Documents available in Turkish (PDF)

	-	The Financing of Public Transport Operations, April 2003
	-	Everybody Local Everywhere, April 2007
	-	Quality as a means of reconciling individual needs with the collective challanges of sustainable development, January 2003
	-	Urban Mobility and Congestion Charging, June 2007
	-	Ligth Rail for Liveable Cities, June 2001
	-	The Metro: an opportunity for sustainable development in large cities, November 2003

Contact

Kaan YILDIZGOZ,
Regional Projects Manager & Turkey Manager,
Direct Phone: +90212 569 5786
Fax: +90212 568 9956
kaan.yildizgoz@uitp.org