Metropolitan political leadership in Turkey

The world experiencing many changes in national and local level with the globalization phenomenon. Economic, social, cultural and spatial integration is supported, changes in this sense, require a redefinition of in national and local concepts.Governance, is the name of a political programme which ensure the sustainability of the smooth process of capital accumulation. Principles like participation, accountability, compliance with the governing laws which is covered by governance and its multi-role and cooperative implemented management structure, facilitated the adoption of this concept in Turkey by making it attractive. Concept of decentralization which simultaneously develop with the globalization; has been obliged the modification in local government system due to integration with governance concept.Decentralization concept which strengthened in Turkey, is defined as the strengthening of local democracy, providing of services by the nearest local unit and initiation of local dynamics; and supported by various legislative changes. Metropolitan areas which significantly experienced with mobility, therefore more easily take place at the global market are of great importance in the world as well as in Turkey. In the Greater city municipality text code no. 5216 which identify the understanding of management of metropolitan areas, the local governance concept is adopted and transfer of more comprehensive powers and resources to metropolitan municipalities is provided.The developed legislations with the new public management approach, has implemented the concept of strategic planning in the management system. Mayors of the Metropolitan area whom are responsible for the management are equipped with a variety of powers and resources with the legal arrangements and the strategic planning authorization is given to Mayors in order to carry a stable and functional structure which may be yielded as complex and to provide a trouble-free realization of urban management that appears due to multi-role governance. The transfer of powers and resources that are mentioned, serve as individual empowerment facility for the mayors as local executive authority. In a sense, these mayors become representing a new hegemonic center at local level, and they are emerging as political leaders of metropolitan areas.In this study, the strengthening and changing positions of Metropolitan Mayors by the Greater city municipality text code no. 5216 was investigated and their effects to current strategic plans was evaluated. According to study, the metropolitan political leadership features of Metropolitan Mayors which already be stronger due to the effect of governance and in terms of strategic plans, and whom is authorized with creation and implementation of a strategic plan, is expected to strengthen even further.In this sense, strategic plans are tools for adoption to the global markets both as they are documents showing the transformation in the local management system and are the materials to strengthen the political leaderships of Metropolitan Mayors.Key words: Governance, decentralization, strategic planning, greater city municipalities, metropolitan leadership.