The people of Bandırma, who have been waiting patiently and excitedly to become a province since the 1950s, are now looking for ways to make their voices heard in Ankara by starting the "pearl of Marmara, the first of the provinces" civil initiative at this point.
Bandırma Mayor Tolga Tosun, whom we met within this framework, underlined that Bandırma is a historical city.
"Bandırma is a port city known as Panderma in Greek mythology. Panderma means safe harbor. Today, Bandırma is a big city from many cities in Turkey, with its economy, demographic structure, that is, its population. Our port is also connected to the railway. Our region is a junction point with both sea, road and air routes. We have industry, we have a port, and it is the district that produces the most important added value of Balıkesir in terms of agriculture and livestock. Our Commodity Exchange, on the other hand, has the potential to rank in the top 5 among our country's commodity exchanges in terms of transaction volume in Turkey," Tosun said.
BANDIRMA IS AN ATTRACTION CENTER
Emphasizing that Bandırma is also a center of attraction in terms of tourism, Tosun said, "Our region with Kapıdağ peninsula and Erdek is a tourism paradise. Besides, Gönen, one of the leading districts of thermal tourism, makes our region even more attractive. However, Bandırma is also one of the biggest fishing centers in Turkey. Turkey's largest fish traders are in Bandırma. On the other hand, Bandırma is one of the 3 districts of Turkey with a university. Bandırma has a strategic location that generates 47 percent of Balıkesir's added value."
“OUR POPULATION WAS NEARLY 200 THOUSANDS”
Underlining that Bandırma's population is currently 164 thousand, Tosun said, "Balıkesir's 47 percent added value is met from Bandırma. With our 23 thousand students, Bandırma's population is going towards 188 thousand, that is, 200 thousand. In addition, it was very good that many public institutions such as the Social Security Institution came to our district in the last period. However, commuting to Balikesir, 100 km from Bandırma, for the confirmation of many things, really causes a waste of time for our citizens. Bandırma has been burning with the longing to become a province since the 1950s. If you ask every citizen walking on the streets of Bandırma today, they will express their longing in this regard."