Cittaslow Turkey Coordinator Tunç Soyer visited Arapgir, Malatya in terms of the city’s Cittaslow membership application.
Tunc Soyer commented on his review as such: "We visited Arapgir, Malatya after Kemaliye to do research on their compliance with the Cittaslow criterion. While the extraordinary beauties of Kemaliye were still fresh in our memories, we were brightened by unique qualities of Arapgir.”
“The town has a history of thousands of years like the whole Anatolia. It has always been one of the most important hubs and residence areas of Upper Euphrates Basin. Arapgir’s mosques, mansions, cuisine still gives clues on its ancient history. The Mayor and his team do their best to preserve the old mansions and structures. The current mayoral team is the greatest chance of Arapgir. Cittaslow philosophy covers the protective development and the management style and the accomplishments in Arapgir are in compliance with this philosophy. The Cittaslow brand would suit the town and the Cittaslow network would gain a new member with strong roots. We will support Arapgir in their application process with all our hearts. I would like to thank Arapgir Mayor Haluk Cömertoğlu, Arapgir District Governor Salih Sak, Project Manager Haluk Şener, local museum founder Asım Külah, the village headmen, NGO representatives and the municipal teams for their efforts. "