Ciprian Ciucu says that the mayor of Ankara is pursuing the development of economic partnerships between Turkish companies and the local administration

Bucharest General Mayor Ciprian Ciucu said that Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who is visiting Bucharest, is also seeking to develop economic partnerships between Turkish companies and the local administration. The discussions focus particularly on the rehabilitation and reinforcement of buildings in the capital, including historic buildings in the Old Town.

Ciucu said that Yavaş had requested that contacts be established between companies for future projects and that the delegations would visit the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce. The general mayor emphasized that Turkey’s experience in building reinforcement is relevant, after Ankara was affected by two major earthquakes over the past 20 years.

According to Ciucu, the meeting also has a political and diplomatic component. Bucharest and Ankara have been sister cities since 1998, but relations between the administrations have not been very close in recent years. The capital’s mayor said he wants to revitalize these ties and identify joint projects.

Turkish companies have already secured infrastructure contracts worth more than six billion euros in Romania, for motorways, expressways, metro systems and regional hospitals. However, some projects have been accompanied by controversy over delays and allegations of unfair competition raised by Romanian companies.