Comparison of the duties and authorities of district governors in metropolitan cities and district governors in other provinces

The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze how the duties and powers of district governors, who play a critical role in the provincial administration system of Türkiye, and their implementation differ in provinces with metropolitan status and non- metropolitan provinces. The profession of provincial administrator occupies an essential place in terms of ensuring the representation of the state in the provinces, effective delivery of public services, and coordination between the central administration and local governments in the administrative structure of Türkiye. In this context, examining the differences between the job descriptions and practical implementations of district governors together with the metropolitan application offers a remarkable research area in terms of public administration. In the study, information on the structure of the provincial administration, the functioning of the central administration and the metropolitan system is presented within the scope of literature review and field research. In the first part of the thesis, the basic features of the central administration system in Türkiye, its advantages and disadvantages are discussed in detail. In addition, the basic structure and functioning of the provincial administration system are presented. In the second part, the historical development, organizational structures and administrative functions of metropolitan and provincial municipalities are examined. In the third part, the changes that occurred in the provincial administration with the enactment of Law No. 6360 and the effects of this legal regulation on the district governorship institution are analyzed. In the fourth part, which includes field research, online interviews conducted with four district governors who have served / are currently serving in metropolitan cities and non-metropolitan provinces are analyzed. In these interviews, qualitative data was collected by obtaining information about the experiences of the district governors in their fields of duty, the differences they observe, and the situations that arise in practice. With Law No. 6360, as a result of the transformation of some provinces to metropolitan municipalities, villages and provincial special administrations in these provinces were abolished, which led to significant changes in the local administrative structure. With this change, because of the transformation of villages into neighborhoods, the local authority and responsibilities of district governors were also significantly reshaped. District governors have now lost a significant portion of the authority they had over villages in the past and have focused more on basic state duties such as the oversight of public order and security. However, it is believed that the authorities of district governors in these settlements that have turned into neighborhoods should be increased, just like the case in villages, so that they can assume a more effective role in matters related to local administration. In this way, local public services can be presented in a more effective, rapid and citizen-focused manner. The interviewed district governors underlined that their task definitions witihn metropolitan areas was restricted with security, coordination and oversight, whereas the metropolitan municipality had the upper hand in terms of planning and presentation of local services. On the other hand, it has been observed that in provinces without metropolitan systems district governors play a more active and comprehensive role through district special administrations and village legal personalities. Some district governors emphasised that in some metropolitan neighbourhoods, which were previously villages, some problems were experienced in terms of service provision as the authorities of mukhtars became symbolic, which had a negative impact on citizen satisfaction. In this context, it has been emphasised that district governors needed additional administrative and financial authorities so as to play a more active role in these neighbourhoods. In addition, district governors in metropolitan system stated that in their relations with the metropolitan municipality as the agents of central government suffered from conflict of authority and responsibility, which jeopardized coordination of services. The district governors in provinces which are not metropolitan stated that their administrative system was more clear and functional, and that they could more directly intervene in the planning of local services and that they could reach rural areas more easily. Findings indicate that the the role of civil administrators should be redefined in the metropolitan development of Türkiye and that structural reorganization is needed especially in rural areas so that the effectiveness of public services can be improved.