The Presidency's Directorate of Communications published a book titled "Municipal Governance under the Century of Türkiye Vision" on the role of municipalities in the country's administration and the importance of municipal services.
The book, the preface of which was written by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, consists of 8 chapters titled "The Journey of Municipal Governance in Türkiye from Past to Present," "Democratisation and Municipalities," "Participatory Municipal Governance and Exemplary Practices," "Smart Municipal Governance and Its Reflection on Citizens," "Cultural Municipal Governance and Exemplary Practices," "Social Municipal Governance/Service-Oriented Municipal Governance and Exemplary Practices," "Citizens' Expectations from Municipalities" and "Ideal Municipal Services under the Vision of the Century of Türkiye."
In the book, published in Turkish, English, German, French, and Arabic, the development process of municipalities, which play a central role in Türkiye's political, economic, and social structure, from the past to the present and the future direction of municipalities under the "Century of Türkiye" vision set by President Erdoğan are analysed in detail.
The book discusses the ideal vision of municipal governance
The book discusses in general terms the development of the understanding of municipal governance in Türkiye, the importance of municipal governance in democratisation and democratic participation, the scope of participatory, smart, social and cultural municipal governance, citizens' expectations from municipalities and the vision of ideal municipal governance.
The book explains the challenges and opportunities confronting municipalities and analyses Türkiye's understanding of municipal governance across various dimensions.
The work discusses the contributions of municipalities to the democratisation process with regard to citizens' greater involvement in decision-making processes and the strengthening of local democracy and explains the understanding of municipal governance in Türkiye from a historical perspective.
The book focuses on the issue of more effective management of municipal services and also discusses the impact of municipalities on the development process, the role of regional development agencies and how local economies can be strengthened by supporting local projects.
The book explains how technological innovations and sustainable development goals can be integrated into the policies of municipalities and emphasises the importance of the "Century of Türkiye" vision for municipalities.
Within this framework, the work analyses, through case studies, the impact of the vision of the "Century of Türkiye" on the quality of life of citizens, the global competitiveness of cities, environmental sustainability, and the importance of technology and innovation in municipal services.
"We are determined to prepare our cities for the future with satisfaction-based administrations"
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan states in the preface that local administrations are of paramount importance in facilitating the development and advancement of Türkiye, specifically in the delivery of essential services that have a direct impact on the populace.
Pointing out that the services provided by municipalities and special provincial administrations were complementary to the functioning of central governments, President Erdoğan noted that, in tandem with evolving needs, municipal services were expanding in form, standard, and scope.
Stating that the process of globalisation has not eliminated the relevance of local governments; on the contrary, it has strengthened them even more, President Erdoğan made the following assessments:
"Municipalities are no longer just institutions dealing with roads, sewerage, water, garbage and sanitation but have become the conductors of many social, cultural, and artistic projects. With the cities of the Century of Türkiye, we aim for a vision of local governments that goes far beyond classical municipalities, from advanced technology infrastructure to services that would improve the quality of life of our people. With this understanding, we are determined to prepare our cities for the future with participatory, quality, and satisfaction-based administrations by building disaster-resistant, resilient, and robust settlements, establishing infrastructures suitable for next-generation digital technologies, strengthening local governance models that support value-generating economies, expanding social municipal services for all segments of society, especially children, the elderly, the disabled, young people and women, protecting our family structure, which is the foundation of our society, with material and moral support, expanding sustainable management practices that are sensitive to the environment and nature, creating a peaceful and secure environment with aesthetically pleasing architecture and preserved historical and cultural assets, improving living conditions in rural areas, and encouraging people to stay where they were born and raised."
President Erdoğan wished that the book "Municipal Governance under the Century of Türkiye Vision" would shed light on the understanding of municipal governance in line with this perspective, saying, "I hope that the March 31 Local Administrations Elections will be auspicious for our cities, our country, and our nation."