Türkiye Ankara Mayor Interested in Learning Jakarta's Public Transportation System

JAKARTA - The Mayor of Ankara, Turkey, Mansur Yavaş, expressed his interest in studying public transportation management in Jakarta. He stated that Jakarta's public transportation integration is developing quite rapidly.

This was conveyed by Mansur Yavaş during a working visit abroad by Jakarta Deputy Governor Rano Karno to Ankara City Hall, Turkey, on Tuesday, August 19 local time. This visit coincided with the 75th anniversary of Indonesia-Turkey diplomatic relations.

"We believe the Ankara-Jakarta friendship will produce sustainable and impactful joint programs. Ankara also needs Jakarta's experience in the rapidly growing field of public transportation," said Mansur Yavaş on Wednesday, August 20.

In addition to transportation, the meeting between Rano and Mansur Yavaş also discussed urban development in areas such as drinking water services, cultural diplomacy, youth and sports empowerment, and digital-based public service transformation.

"We warmly welcome Deputy Governor Rano Karno. Ankara and Jakarta are both ready to share best practices in transportation, water management, service digitalization, and the development of urban green spaces," he said.

Meanwhile, Rano believes that Jakarta and Ankara share many common challenges, ranging from the quality of basic services and the integration of transportation modes to strengthening cultural spaces. He believes these challenges can be addressed through knowledge exchange and program collaboration.

"We came to Ankara to open the door to real and beneficial collaboration for our citizens. Jakarta wants to exchange experiences on various issues. I am confident that an intercity network like the Jakarta-Ankara one will accelerate improvements in public services and provide a better quality of life for the community," Rano explained.

Thematically, the discussions included improving the reliability of drinking water supplies by reducing leaks and optimizing the operations of regional water companies; developing safe, comfortable, and integrated urban transportation across modes; holding joint festivals and exchanges between creative communities, students, and youth; and strengthening data governance and transparency to encourage citizen participation in digital public services.

Furthermore, Jakarta and Ankara agreed on follow-up steps, including the formation of joint working groups in priority sectors, inter-agency technical exchanges and field visits, and exploring the drafting of memorandums of understanding in accordance with the laws of each country.