The impact of the increase in the migrant population benefiting from public services on municipal service delivery in Türkiye

In the nation-state, which is the dominant political unit, public services are defined and structured in all aspects with a strong geographical basis. This is due to the fact that the relationship between the two parties to the service—namely, the state and society—is established within the borders of a specific geographical area. It is accepted that the state is responsible for protecting the rights of its citizens and addressing their needs. With the inclusion of migrants into this territorial network of relationships, a new, ambiguous, and still unregulated service relationship has emerged between states and migrants residing within their borders. Since all state activities represent significant fields of study within the discipline of political science and public administration, this new service relationship has been chosen as the subject of research for this thesis. Within this framework, the inclusion of migrants in Türkiye as beneficiaries of public services is examined specifically through municipalities, without distinguishing based on size or structure, and considering them as public legal entities. The research was carried out using qualitative methods, particularly document analysis, and the data obtained were categorized and interpreted through deductive analysis. Upon reviewing the findings, it is clear that recent international migration movements have resulted in a migrant population numbering in the millions in Türkiye. As nearly all migrants have started to reside in urban areas, existing service domains—such as urban infrastructure and superstructure, housing, environment, and sanitation, from which all residents within municipal boundaries benefit—have expanded in proportion to the population increase. Additionally, services aimed at addressing migrants' specific needs—such as social assistance, language and vocational training courses, and social cohesion activities—have also begun to be provided. Despite the increased service burden on municipalities, there is no explicit regulation in the current legislation regarding the provision of public services to migrants, and the migrant population is not taken into account when allocating shares from the central budget to municipalities. The provision of public services without clearly defined powers and responsibilities and without adequate resources has led to legal, financial, and administrative challenges. In the conclusion of the thesis, recommendations are proposed to address these issues faced by municipalities and to contribute to the institutionalization of the service relationship between municipalities and migrants in accordance with the principle of the rule of law.