Local government and revenue sharing; EU and Turkey applications

The localization gain importance with globalization process that started to develop from the 1980s. Within the context of this process, rigidly centralized structures stretched and more responsibility and authority transferred to local governments in terms of service and fiscal issues. The administrative and financial responsibilities transferred to local governments vary on countries? government system. The reasons like requesting of ensure efficiency in services and resource use, desiring of deliver services by the administrative bodies closer to the public and providing public participation to decision making process developed the decentralization structures. At the first chapter of this thesis it is focused on the importance and the role of local government with its historical background while the Turkey?s local government structure is stressed at the second chapter. It is referred to the service and fiscal responsibilities and the powers of local government in Turkey. At the third chapter the local government structures of European countries are analyzed and a brief comparison of Turkey and selected countries examples is done in accordance with studies done in the field of local governments in Europe within the context of localization. Keywords: Local Governments, Fiscal Federalism, Financial Autonomy, Service Delivery, Revenue Sharing