Culture management in local governments: The Metropolitan Municipality of İstanbul

Today a very significant change and development process that will cause a long-term effect on individuals, institutions and governments is experienced in many fields from politics to economy; from company management to public administration; from science to technology. It is possible to mention many prominent ways to manage this process. In this study, the strategic planning and management approach of culture management is mainly discussed in terms of local governments.Limited economic resources of local governments; politically, despite the increase in citizens' will to participate and their interests in aesthetic and art, the deficiency of accountability and high-quality service enhance the importance of culture management in local governments. The arguments that the features of cultural activities special to local governments are taken into account and harmonized in the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul; that the planning process of cultural management is consciously applied, and that if different models are used, it will be beneficial in local governments are the subjects of this study.In the first part of the study, the concept of 'local government' is generally discussed. In the second part, the concepts of 'culture' and 'culture management' and the main reasons that give rise to the need to apply these concepts are mentioned. In the third part, the historical and cultural attractions of Istanbul are mentioned in general. In the last part, the program and planning studies of the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul that applied on culture management are mentioned and especially the actions taken in recent years are explained in line with statistical data. Key Words: Local governments, Culture, Culture Management, New Law of Metropolitan Municipalities, The Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul.