Municipalities in Turkey .. What is the size of its powers and powers?

Zaher al-Baik-Ankara

The municipal elections in Turkey received wide media coverage locally and internationally, accompanied by a big debate among the most prominent contenders from the start of election campaigns until polling day and the results.

Observers attributed this to the powers of the municipal councils compared to the various centers of other powers in the state, and its role in drawing the map of political and party figures.

Addressing the Istanbul 2017 International Summit of Cities and Non-Governmental Organizations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the imperative of strengthening the role of municipalities in Turkey and focusing on their services.

He said it was "the secret of staying in power" that starts from local government centers, and stressed their strength and effectiveness. From his administration to the Istanbul municipality between 1994 and 1998, Erdogan strengthened his political presence, having been famous for the qualitative achievements of Istanbul.

Powers of Municipalities
"Turkey's municipalities are the cornerstone and the key to power, where Turkish citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to direct elections, depending on the municipality in which they live or work," said Mustafa Govenic, a Turkish legal expert and director of Istanbul-based Amge Legal Consultancy.

"The duration of the electoral cycle in the municipalities is five years. During this period, the municipal administration will be independent of the government. Each municipality has its own departments, non-profit associations and civil society organizations under its supervision," he added.

The spokesman pointed out that the powers of the mayor of the largest independent of the powers of ministers in the government, but is required to cooperate in the implementation of the general policy of the state.

Ironically, in the major municipalities, which were won by the opposition Republican People's Party, the smaller minority municipalities of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the smaller municipalities.

Decision making mechanism
As for the decision-making mechanism and the overlap of work between the major and the minor, the legal expert explained that the great mayor of Turkey can not be unique in decisions, but must go back to the municipal council composed of small mayors and other members. Significant obstacles to their tasks may at some point lead to resignation.

He added that "judicial oversight is only concerned with monitoring the financial expenses of municipalities, which makes the municipalities in direct contact with the people through the service roles and development concerned with the needs of citizens of health, education, housing and the like."

The Turkish legal expert confirmed that the elected mayor can, through his powers, link the people with his party, which strengthens the party's political and authoritarian status in the parliamentary elections later, citing the example of Najmuddin Erbakan, leader of the Welfare Party before his dissolution of a popular base of municipalities that enabled him to amend the constitution.

Turkey has 81 municipalities with a number of its provinces and 1,397 municipalities of the mother municipalities spread over the Turkish cities, regions and districts.

The Turkish municipal elections date back to 130 years ago. It was first held in 1877, and the municipalities of Istanbul and Ankara are considered the most important and largest municipalities.

Make repairs
According to observers, in recent years the Turkish Government has embarked on reforms of local administrations with a view to strengthening local democracy, re-division of functions between central and local administrations and redefining local administration as an autonomous administrative and financial entity.

Reforms also include the provision of local services to citizens at the earliest place through the principle of decentralization of service provision. As a result of these reforms, local administrations have become more powerful in terms of administrative and material autonomy. The possibility of municipal and private administrations in the provinces has been more effective and effective.

According to Article 127 of the Turkish Constitution, local administrations are divided into three models: provincial, municipal and village administrations. This has facilitated the urbanization and economic development that the country has witnessed in recent years.

According to Turkish Law No. 533 of July 2005, the municipality is an institution based on the services of citizens in general. Its president is elected by voters and has a separate budget and administration. It consists of a municipal council, an advisory council and a mayor.

Greater Municipality
The definition of the Greater Municipality in the 2004 law, as an institution consisting of areas with a population of 750 thousand people, lies within the limits of the province.

The municipality is responsible for coordinating and managing the municipalities. It carries out the functions and responsibilities set out in the laws with a separate budget and administration. Its president is elected by the citizens. It consists of the Greater Municipal Council, the Greater Municipal Advisory Council and the Mayor.

Under the Major Municipalities Act No. 5216, municipal administration enjoys administrative and financial autonomy under the principle of "decentralization of service".

The boundaries of the major municipalities are in accordance with their population. Under this law, the municipalities of the major cities were also allowed to monitor the plans of the municipalities of the districts, thus ending the confusion of tasks and authorities between the municipalities of the major cities and the municipalities of the major neighborhoods.

Law of administrations
The Provincial Private Departments Act No. 5302 redefined the functions, powers, responsibilities and organs of private administrations in the provinces.

The law stipulates that the private administrations in the provinces carry out many tasks of a local and joint nature related to the environmental plan of the province, public works, housing, culture, art, tourism, services, social assistance and education, for democracy and greater attention to citizens in the departments of the governorates.

The law allocating a share of the revenues of the general budget tax to the private administrations in the governorates and municipalities increased the total amount allocated to the local administrations from the general budget to 27.7 billion Turkish liras (about 5 billion lar) in 2012.

The law on the re-delineation of the borders of the major municipalities was issued in 2012 with the aim of strengthening Turkey's democracy at the local level, ensuring efficient performance in the municipal services and providing more quality services, bringing the number of municipalities to 30.

The areas of the functions and responsibilities of the major municipalities have also been expanded in a way that includes the provincial boundaries of the provinces. As a result, the towns and villages have been transformed into neighborhoods.

This has also led to the strengthening of local democracy and the trend towards building more effective local governance.