• Publish Date
  10.06.2023
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Metro Istanbul at the Summit of World Public Transportation

At the general assembly of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) held in Barcelona, with more than 2000 members from over 100 countries, Özgür Soy, the General Manager of Metro Istanbul, an affiliate of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was unanimously elected as the President of the Eurasia Region and Vice President of UITP. Soy became the first Turkish executive to be appointed to this position in the 130-year history of the organization.
As the largest urban rail system operator in Turkey, Metro Istanbul's General Manager Özgür Soy will now hold a prominent role in the world's largest public transportation organization, UITP. Established in 1885, UITP comprises over 1,900 members from various countries, including public transport operators, central administrations, local governments, industry organizations, research centers, academics, and consultants. Soy's appointment as Vice President and President of the Eurasia Region marks a significant achievement in his career and represents a milestone for Turkish executives in the global public transport sector.

Özgür Soy will represent 12 countries in the UITP Executive Board.
As the President of the Eurasia Region, Özgür Soy will lead the representation of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan in the UITP. During this period, he will hold positions as a member of the UITP Executive Board and Vice President, representing the countries in the Eurasia Region. His responsibilities will include the representation of all members from the 12 countries in the UITP Executive Board, coordinating projects and activities conducted by UITP for these members, overseeing decision-making processes, and overseeing the activities of UITP's secretariat in the Eurasia Region. Özgür Soy was elected to this position by the votes of members at the UITP General Assembly held on June 4, 2023, in Barcelona.
 
Metro Istanbul's General Manager, Özgür Soy, who attended the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Barcelona, stated, "Being deemed worthy of this position in the general assembly meeting is both a source of pride for me and our country. In recent years, both the ongoing new constructions and the advancements have led Istanbul Metro to experience its golden age. The awards we received were indicative of this development. Additionally, I have been appointed as the President of the newly established Eurasia Region in UITP. In this role, I aim to enhance collaboration and mutual knowledge sharing among the 12 member countries, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Israel, which are part of the Eurasia Region."

The Transportation Academy established in Istanbul will be the training center of the sector
General Manager Özgür Soy mentioned that Istanbul has been designated as the regional training center for UITP. Through a collaborative agreement between UITP Academy and Metro Academy, Istanbul will become the 9th training center globally, providing various transportation-related courses to participants from Turkey and different parts of the world. These initiatives aim to enhance and advance the public transportation sector significantly, contributing to its further development and improvement.

The voice of the public transport sector in Turkey will be heard more effectively
With Metro Istanbul General Manager Özgür Soy's new position, Istanbul will be more effectively represented in global public transportation projects and best practices. Additionally, it will pave the way for Turkey to have a greater say in public transportation projects and strategic decisions related to the sector, enhancing the international visibility of the Turkish public transportation sector, including the Turkish rail systems industry.
Public transportation companies and stakeholders in Turkey, along with other public transportation operators, authorities, and industry stakeholders in the region, will have opportunities to establish closer relationships, collaborate, and share experiences on international platforms with other countries.

About UITP
UITP is a non-profit organization founded in 1885, consisting of public transportation operators, central administrations, local governments, industry organizations, research centers, academics, and consultants from 100 different countries worldwide, with over 1900 members. It holds the distinction of being the largest organization in the world dedicated to public transportation, working towards enhancing sustainable urban public transportation. With its headquarters in Brussels, UITP has offices in Dubai, Casablanca, Tehran, Shenzhen, Moscow, Istanbul, Sao Paulo, Ivory Coast, Bangalore, Hong Kong, New York, Johannesburg, Melbourne, and Singapore.

About Özgür Soy 
Özgür Soy was born in 1970. After completing his education at the German High School, he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Boğaziçi University and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from INSEAD. He completed the Port Management Certificate Program with a scholarship from the Singapore Government under the Singapore Cooperation Program. He is currently in the process of completing his doctoral thesis at Istanbul Technical University.
Throughout his career, Özgür Soy has held management roles in companies such as Kumport, Procter & Gamble, DHL, Schneider Electric, Arçelik, Borusan Lojistik, and Trenkwalder. He has also taught International Logistics Management courses at Yeditepe University and Uludağ University and has been a speaker at numerous seminars in Turkey, Europe, and the Middle East.
As of February 13, 2020, Özgür Soy was appointed as the General Manager of Metro Istanbul at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. He is a father of three and is fluent in both English and German.

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