The Lapta Tınaztepe Mukhtar’s Office, the Genç Lapta Hunting and Shooting Association Building, and the Sercan Aydındağ Park—realized through the collaboration of the Lapta Alsancak Çamlıbel Municipality and Özeray Investment, with contributions from Yağmur and Damla Aydındağ—were officially inaugurated today in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Ünal Üstel.
Speaking at the event, Tınaztepe Mukhtar and President of the Genç Lapta Hunting and Shooting Association, Halil Karalar, expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to bringing a new mukhtar’s office, children’s park, cafeteria, and association building to Lapta Tınaztepe Neighborhood. He stated that it was gratifying for the neighborhood to finally have a permanent and modern mukhtar’s office.
Yağmur Aydındağ, a landscape architect and the sister of Sercan Aydındağ—who tragically passed away at the age of 20 in a motorcycle accident in 2014 and whose name was given to the newly established park—also spoke during the event. She explained that this social space in Tınaztepe was completed in approximately five months, and that the project includes a children’s playground, the mukhtar’s office, the hunting and shooting club building, a café area, green spaces, and a basketball court.
Yağmur Aydındağ, wishing that the new facilities would be beneficial to the local community, expressed her gratitude on behalf of her family to everyone who contributed to the realization of the project and to the naming of the park after her late brother, Sercan Aydındağ.
President of the Union of Mukhtars, Akay Darbaz, also spoke at the event. He thanked Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and his team for working to resolve problems that mukhtars have been facing for 50 years. Darbaz emphasized that, thanks to the efforts being made, 110 mukhtars without offices will soon have their own buildings.
Darbaz also thanked Prime Minister Üstel and the government for the importance they place on mukhtars, stating: “The value given to mukhtars is the value given to the people, and the value given to the people is the value given to the country.”
General Manager of Özeray Investment, Serhat Kotak, emphasized in his speech that Özeray Investment is a successful local company founded by individuals rooted in this land. He expressed their happiness in contributing to the renovation of the Tınaztepe Mukhtar’s Office, the creation of a park to honor the memory of Sercan Aydındağ—who lost his life in an accident—and the construction of the association building.
Kotak added that as Özeray Investment, they will continue to support projects that improve living conditions and public services in the country.
Mayor of the Lapta Alsancak Çamlıbel Municipality, Fırat Ataser, noted that there are not many social spaces in Lapta for children, youth, and the public to enjoy. He thanked Özeray Investment for realizing the project, the Aydındağ sisters—Yağmur and Damla—for handling the landscaping, and everyone who contributed.
Ataser explained that after Özeray Investment committed to creating a social space in the region, Yağmur and Damla Aydındağ also supported the project. As a result of this collaborative effort, they decided to name the new social area after Sercan Aydındağ, who lost his life in a traffic accident in 2014 and was the brother of Yağmur and Damla.
Highlighting infrastructure deficiencies in Lapta in areas such as roads, social spaces, sidewalks, and sewage systems, Ataser stressed that the municipality will continue to work with the government and businesspeople to meet public needs and improve living conditions.
Ataser announced that the municipality has initiated projects in four neighborhoods, including the construction of sewage infrastructure, rainwater drainage, electrical systems, sidewalks, and asphalt works. He added that a new mukhtar’s office and park will be built next to the Başpınar Mukhtar’s Office.
He further noted that following Başpınar, they plan to establish a parking area and children’s park in Yavuzlar Street, and that the mukhtar’s office in Ilgaz has been completed. The cultural center in Ilgaz village is also expected to open by the end of June.
Ataser underlined the significant efforts being made to create social spaces for both mukhtars and citizens in the region. He added that the municipality will soon begin developing the Lapta Coastal Walking Path area with facilities including a public safety center, cafeteria, children’s park, basketball and volleyball courts, outdoor fitness equipment, various landscaping features, and small cafés.
Promising to give Lapta the value it deserves, Ataser thanked Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and his team for their major contributions to these initiatives.
Prime Minister Ünal Üstel expressed his pleasure at being present for such a meaningful opening in Lapta.
He stated that since coming to power, they have fulfilled all their promises to the public and have used all state resources to improve the well-being and prosperity of both public and private sector workers.
Despite challenges such as the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, fluctuations in the Turkish Lira, and the Israel-Palestine conflict, Üstel emphasized that his administration has worked to sustain all sectors—from tourism to agriculture and citrus production. He noted that, through high-level protocols with the Republic of Turkey, they have allocated 46 billion Turkish Lira to projects aimed at easing the lives of the people.
Üstel stressed their commitment to realizing one by one the projects the country needs and said they recently shared with the public a full account of their government’s three-year term.
He highlighted that their government has completed projects that short-lived, unstable administrations since 2012 could not. Upon taking office, they prioritized reviving unfinished or inactive projects left by previous governments.
In this context, Üstel noted that they resumed work on the Girne-Alsancak-Lapta-Karşıyaka road, which was first tendered in 2012 but left incomplete. Today, the road has been completed as a dual carriageway up to Lapta, and the section toward Karşıyaka will be completed soon.
He also reminded the audience that they have declared 2025 as the Year of Health and launched initiatives to renovate healthcare centers and hospitals nationwide. Due to the increasing population, they modernized the Lapta Health Center, which will soon be operational.
Üstel stressed that while the government implements these projects, they also collaborate with local governments and businesspeople in areas where they cannot reach alone.
He recalled that before 1974, Turkish Cypriot municipalities were not widespread, making mukhtars extremely important. He noted that it was during UBP’s government under Prime Minister İrsen Küçük that the first steps were taken to improve mukhtars’ salaries and legal rights.
Upon taking office, Üstel said they held meetings with the Union of Mukhtars and began a collaboration between the Ministry of Interior and local governments to provide buildings for the 110 mukhtars who lacked proper offices. He also announced that steps will be taken to further improve the legal rights and benefits of mukhtars.
In conclusion, Prime Minister Üstel thanked everyone who contributed to the realization of the project.
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