A delegation from the Turkish Cypriot Municipalities Union travelled to Strasbourg, France, to attend the 51st Plenary Session of the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, along with a series of committee meetings. According to a statement from the Union, the delegation comprised Mahmut Özçınar, President of the Turkish Cypriot Municipalities Union and Mayor of Güzelyurt; Murat Şenkul, Mayor of Kyrenia; Hüseyin Amcaoğlu, Mayor of Gönyeli-Alayköy; and Ferruh Dülgeroğlu, Director of Gönyeli-Alayköy Municipality.
The Plenary Session focused on priorities for the 2026–2031 period. In her address, Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen drew attention to rising social tensions across Europe, attributing them to the increasing cost of living, a deepening housing crisis, challenges faced by students and young people, and growing inequality.
Key items on the Plenary's agenda included the early detection and prevention of democratic backsliding at the local and regional level, support for the reconstruction of Ukraine, the legal entrenchment of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and strategies for combating coastal erosion. Reports on the resilience of local governments, human rights and freedoms, and local and regional elections across various European countries were also discussed.
Alongside the Plenary, delegation members participated in separate committee sessions: Mahmut Özçınar attended the Monitoring Committee meeting, Hüseyin Amcaoğlu the Governance Committee, and Murat Şenkul the Committee on Social Cohesion and Human Dignity, representing Turkish Cypriot local governance on each platform.
