Izmit Municipality which serves a population more than 370.000 which equals a larger population compare with the forty cities in Türkiye. It undertakes all local services effectively, efficiently and in harmony within its boundaries with its 1883 Municipality personnel. As a center district municipality, daily population of the Municipality has reached one million people which put responsibilities to provide efficient services on the areas such as health, environment, technical affairs, cultural and social affairs. As a matter of fact, Izmit Municipality was founded in the year of 1923 which is the same year of the foundation of Turkish Republic. Specifically, due to its long history which it has achieved to reach a corporate identity and until today it is able to prepare many projects on the area of its jurisdiction about the issues such as education, culture, youth, environment, agriculture, disabled and disadvantaged people, and children as a target group to ensure realization of all kinds of developmental implementation.
As a municipality it has different facilities as follows: History Corridor (Old Town of Izmit), Ataturk House Museum, 17 August Izmit Earthquake Memorial and Awareness Museum (www.izmitdepremmuzesi.org), Artificial Reality Sphere (360 degree presentation dome) Woman Entrepreneurs Center (//izgim.izmit.bel.tr/), Ecological Living Garden, Agricultural Production Garden, İzmek (Vocational Courses with 62 different branches) Çetin Emeç and Leyla Atakan Libraries. Addition to those the Municipality has 23 neighborhood mansions, 8 indoor bazaar, 15 thematic park, 7 sport center and 500 hundred parks. (www.izmit.bel.tr)
Moreover, Izmit Municipality is the first municipality in its region, hosting and sending volunteers under European Volunteers Service program and develops projects related to Youth Program. Izmit Municipality representatives have participated many international projects all around Europe and initiated over 50 organizations to Izmit in several projects. Izmit Municipality also a local relay of Eurodesk Türkiye and in order to serve this aim it has organized several conferences and trainings for young people to let them know about European opportunities.
Furthermore Izmit Municipality R&D and Project Development Department’s EU project experts continues to create cooperation ties with local and European partners through IPA, Erasmus+ and Horizon project applications parallel with municipality’s strategic plan as well. With the aim of strengthening international cooperation ties for sustainable development the municipality become a member of ICLEI and become the first signatory of Circular Cities Declaration from Türkiye in 2021 as well.
In July 2022, Izmit Municipality is selected by the EU Commission to the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change as one of the 118 regional and local authorities and one of the six regional authorities which is stationed outside of EU area. Furthermore, In December 2022, Izmit Municipality has become the first but also the only signatory of Covenant of Mayors from Kocaeli as well.