Selahattin Yıldırım

Selahattin Yıldırım graduated from the Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 1967. As of 1968, he studied foreign languages and comparative literature in London, Paris, Madrid and Rome.  Between the years 1974-2010, he engaged in the theory and praxis of urban politics in Türkiye as well as various parts of the world, municipal and metropolitan administration, planning and development, historical and environmental protection, and of the fields of local government education and development as well as cooperation and solidarity between municipalities and local governments. 

He served as the founding Secretary General of Marmara Municipalities Union, Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, the International Mediterranean Cities Association, the Cyprus Turkish Municipalities Association, the International Association of Local Governments-Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean Regional Organization, World Major Cities II Summit, and the UCLG-MEWA. 

He served as the Mediator and General Coordinator of the UCLG foundation process and board member of UCLG World and Global Local Democracy Observatory House. He was a member of the World Democracy and Local Governing Board, in which he pioneered in the foundation processes. He worked as a lecturer in Marmara University Institute of Social Sciences “Local Governments Program” between 1996-200 and has been serving as the United Nations-Habitat Honorary Ambassador since 2011. 

He has various works on local government and democracy and urban politics in the world and in Türkiye.