Association of Social Democratic Municipalities

Mission & Goals

Association of Social Democratic Municipalities (SODEM) is an initiative of social democratic municipalities in Türkiye. SODEM has 103 members, representing a population of approximately 26 million people across Türkiye. The primary mission of SODEM is to foster and maintain political, cultural, social and economic dialogue between its member municipalities and their European counterparts. The association aims to contribute to Türkiye’s accession to the European Union (EU) by enhancing the capacity of the member municipalities through their cooperation with European counterparts. Already today, Turkish local authorities carry out significant partnerships with European institutions and take part in co-defining the social, political, and economic aspects of the EU's functioning. This cooperation in the framework of the EU contributes to the development of common solutions and products, while promoting the common cause of a successfully integrated Europe.