Istanbul 2007 : Standing Committee on Institutional Affairs

The fall session of the Standing Committee on Institutional Affairs will take place in Istanbul on September 7th, 2007. 
Please find some introductory reading on the Turkish political system and the role of the regions below. It is an extract from the AER Report on Regionalism.

Regions in Turkey

The creation of municipalities and provinces in Turkey dates back to the middle of the 19th century. In 1864 the first municipality was created in Istanbul on a European model. The country was then subdivised into provinces, districts and villages. In 1913, a Law on the General Administration of the Provinces was passed, and in 1961 the new Constitution set out the principle of decentralisation. Nevertheless the State remains strongly centralised; Article 127 of the Constitution states that: “the central administration has the power of administrative tutelage/trusteeship over local authorities within the framework of principles and procedures set forth by law, with the objective of ensuring the functioning of local services in conformity with the principle of the integral unity of the administration, securing uniform public services and meeting local needs in an appropriate manner”.
In 2004 and 2005 new laws on devolution were prepared, but these have not yet been implemented. They have not been unanimously welcomed in all political circles. These laws include: (i) Law on Metroplitan Municipalities, (ii) Law on municipalities, (iii) Law on the Special Provincial administration (NB: this Law was approved by the Parliament but the President has vetoed it), and (iv) Law on public administration.

This meeting will take place together with the Bureau. All working documents and other information can be found on the Bureau home page.