White table applications in local governments: The example of Malatya Metropolitan Municipality

Local governments, within the Turkish administrative structure, are administrative institutions that operate to immediately meet the social needs of the local population and facilitate their democratic participation in governance. Essentially, they simplify administrative tasks and provide credibility to the political power or the central government. Units within local governments that engage in public communication also play a crucial role in providing local services or increasing their effectiveness. Municipal public relations activities, public participation in municipalities, and white desk implementation efforts aim to provide information about the units' activities, their operations, and their implementation. Municipalities utilize various tools and techniques to communicate with citizens to meet their demands and needs. Chief among these tools and techniques is the "White Desk" application. The White Desk was first established in Turkey in 1994 by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. As the closest administrative unit to citizens in local governments, municipalities attach importance to exchanging information with local people, providing services, and maintaining democracy. In this study, a survey was conducted with 500 people, taking Malatya Metropolitan Municipality as a sample, and the satisfaction levels of the local people in the white table application were tried to be measured. KEYWORDS: Metropolitan Municipality, White Desk, Public Relations, Local Governments, Citizens