ISTANBUL - Turkey's Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on countries to cooperate against the dangers that are threatening the cities worldwide on Saturday.
Speaking at the "1st International Local Administrations Symposium" in Istanbul, Erdogan said cities could cooperate regarding technological and infrastructural issues, however, cooperating against threats has become a necessity, rather than an opportunity, nowadays.
"In a period during which terrorism and threats are also globalizing, we have no other alternative than solidarity," Erdogan said.
Commenting on the reforms carried out in Turkey in recent years, Erdogan said Turkey has conducted successful activities in local, national and international scale.
"We have supported all our successes with local reforms," he said.
Erdogan also said he believed both development and democratization process started at the local level.
The two-day symposium --organized by the local office of ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party in Istanbul-- brings together local administrators from five continents.
Local administrators and academicians from Albania, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Syria and the United States are attending the symposium.
Participants will debate administration and organization, city and environmental problems, local economic development, local social development, cooperation among local administrations.
The symposium will end after participants release an "Istanbul" declaration.
Earlier, AK Party's local office said the symposium aims to make Istanbul an international center where local administrators and experts convene regularly and discuss new concepts and tendencies in city planning.
(DO-BRC)