Mayor of Güzelyurt Özçınar Discusses Reuse of Wastewater in Agriculture at Erzurum Panel

On 3 September 2025 in Erzurum, the Mayor of Güzelyurt and head of the Union of Turkish-Cypriot Municipalities, Mahmut Özçınar, participated in an international agriculture congress and a panel on “Sustainable Development, Local Authorities, Agriculture and the Climate Crisis.”

The panel, organized by the Erzurum Municipality and the Academy of Local Governance and Democracy (WALD), also included Erzurum Mayor Mehmet Sekmen, Chairman of the Erzurum Chamber of Commerce Hakan Oral, Atatürk University Rector Prof. Ahmet Hadjimüftüoğlu, and UN Resident Representative in Turkey Ambassador Babatunde Ahonsi. The session was moderated by WALD Board Chair and UCLG-MEWA Secretary-General Mehmet Duman.

Özçınar presented Güzelyurt’s practices for using treated wastewater in agriculture — including a treatment plant project funded by the European Union, water recirculation measures, and support for local farmers. He answered questions from young participants and emphasized the importance of water conservation: “It is important to value every drop,” he noted.

For residents of Northern Cyprus, this implies a potential reduction in pressure on freshwater sources and expanded irrigation possibilities if similar treatment and recycling technologies are implemented locally. Özçınar also highlighted the importance of experience sharing between municipalities.