Interview with Maria Luisa Wyganowski
Interview with Maria Luisa Wyganowski
Head of Financial Cooperation, EU Delegation to Türkiye
For Green Power Newspaper
Q1: How do you see Türkiye aligning with the EU’s sustainable transport and Green Deal priorities?
The European Union has set itself ambitious goals under the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy: reducing emissions from transport by 90% by 2050, achieving climate neutrality, and making mobility safe, digital, and accessible to all. These strategies are binding for EU Member States and already drive real change across Europe — from zero-emission city logistics to the roll-out of charging infrastructure.
Türkiye is not yet bound by these policies, but with EU support it has begun to reflect similar ambitions through the SKUP Türkiye project. This project prepared a White Policy Paper on Sustainable Urban Mobility, which mirrors many EU priorities and adapts them to Türkiye’s own context. It sets clear targets for 2030, 2040, and 2050 — including expanding metro and tram systems, rolling out 250,000 charging points, and raising the share of sustainable modes to 60%. The EU now expects the Turkish government to adopt this White Paper so that these ambitions become shared national objectives rather than intentions.
Importantly, both EU policy and the White Paper highlight shared mobility — car-sharing, bike-sharing, and e-scooters — as everyday alternatives to the private car. These services are already changing European cities and could be transformative in Türkiye as well.
Q2: How does the EU view micro-mobility, electric mobility, and digitalisation in Türkiye?
For the EU, these are the three pillars of the mobility transition. EU legislation such as the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation requires Member States to build dense charging networks for electric vehicles. EU digital policies are advancing real-time mobility data and integrated ticketing. And across Europe, micro-mobility and shared services are reducing dependence on private cars.
Türkiye has enormous potential in this area. Citizens already embrace new modes quickly, from shared scooters to ride-hailing apps. But the SKUP Türkiye White Paper highlights what is still missing: national standards, a central authority to coordinate efforts, and clear regulatory frameworks. This is why the EU underlines the need for a National Sustainable Urban Mobility Coordination Centre. Such an institution would allow Türkiye to scale up shared mobility services in line with European best practice and investor expectations.
Q3: What concrete cooperation exists today between the EU and Türkiye in this field?
Our cooperation bridges EU policy with Turkish practice.
- **Planning and policy.** Through IPA II, the EU invested around €35 million in Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans — or SUMPs — for 9 Turkish cities including Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Düzce, Konya, Eskişehir, Kocaeli, Gaziantep, and Mersin. These plans put European policy principles into practice locally: safer cycling, reliable buses, integrated tickets, and shared mobility services. SUMPs are where strategies meet citizens’ daily lives.
- **City networks.** Turkish cities are encouraged to join CIVITAS — the EU-funded programme and community of cities working on sustainable mobility — and POLIS, the European network that amplifies the voice of cities in transport policy. Through these, municipalities can test solutions together and showcase their achievements.
- **Policy dialogue.** The SKUP White Paper provides a bridge between EU strategies and Türkiye’s context. If adopted, it would signal Türkiye’s readiness to align its urban mobility vision with European practice and global climate goals.
Q4: What support does the EU provide financially and technically?
On the financial side, IPA III (2021–2027) continues to make funds available to Türkiye in support of climate and mobility reforms. During IPA II, 10 Turkish cities received a total of around €35 million in grants for sustainable urban mobility interventions. Beyond grants, the EU’s investment platforms such as EFSD+ mobilise billions by sharing risk with international financial institutions including the EIB, EBRD, KfW, and AFD.
On the technical side, EU programmes like CIVITAS bring cities together to test zero-emission buses, shared mobility hubs, or digital ticketing. Through ELTIS — the EU’s knowledge hub on urban mobility — Turkish cities can access guidelines, case studies, and tools to implement EU-style solutions. These mechanisms ensure that European strategies are not abstract, but deliver tangible improvements in how citizens move every day.
Q5: What policies are most effective against congestion and pollution in Turkish cities?
The EU’s Urban Mobility Framework encourages a package of measures rather than single solutions:
- Prioritising buses and trams in traffic, so they are faster than cars.
- Introducing 30 km/h zones in residential areas, reducing accidents and making streets safer for children.
- Expanding safe cycling infrastructure and walkable streets.
- Deploying low-emission and zero-emission zones in city centres.
- Scaling up shared mobility services, which reduce car ownership, parking demand, and emissions.
- Harnessing digital tools such as integrated ticketing and real-time apps.
These policies, already used across Europe, are reflected in Türkiye’s White Paper as proposed measures. If Türkiye adopts the Paper and aligns with EU strategies, citizens will see less congestion, cleaner air, and healthier streets in their own neighbourhoods.
Closing message
Sustainable mobility is not about the distant future — it is about children walking safely to school today, workers reaching jobs on time, and families breathing cleaner air. Shared mobility services, alongside public transport, are central to this change. The EU has invested in Türkiye’s SUMPs and urban mobility planning because we believe in this vision.
We now invite more Turkish cities to join CIVITAS and POLIS, and we encourage the Turkish government to adopt the White Paper so that European policies and strategies become shared objectives in Türkiye. Together, we can make Turkish cities leaders in the global transition to green and smart mobility.
SIDEBAR: Key Targets from the SKUP Türkiye White Paper (explained for citizens)
- By 2030: Expand metro and tram lines by 75%.
- By 2030: Install around 250,000 charging points for electric vehicles.
- By 2030: Make walking, cycling, and public/shared transport 60% of all city travel.
- By 2040: Most minibuses and buses to be zero-emission.
- By 2050: Turkish cities to reach climate-neutral mobility.