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The Union of Municipalities of Turkey
The Union of Municipalities of Turkey has been established for the purposes of satisfying the needs of our municipalities such as education, consultancy, information and experience exchange and technical support required for them to effectively and efficiently perform their duties and responsibilities that constantly increase and become more complex in time, representing them before central administration institutions and national and international platforms, and protecting their rights and interests towards the purpose of enabling them to provide contemporary municipality services.
Union headquarters is located in Ankara. Branch offices and training centres may be established whenever so required as per Assembly decrees.
The Union has been established, sine die, to represent all municipalities in accordance to Article 20 of the Law no 5355.
Duties and authorities of the Union are as follows;
a) Representing the municipalities at national and international platforms, becoming in this context member to institutions, organisations, unions, associations, foundations and similar organisations that deal in the field of local administrations, supporting international relations and cooperations of municipalities, and facilitating their access to international networks.
b) Protecting the interests of municipalities and filing lawsuits to that end whenever necessary.
c) Declaring opinions and making recommendations regarding legislation preparations that are of interest to municipalities, requesting information on legislation preparations from relevant authorities to that end, participating in the works carried out in the presence of Turkish Grand National Assembly Commissions and other authorities.
d) Taking steps towards the resolution of problems communicated by municipalities or defined by the Union, and developing legislative recommendations to that end.
e) Providing guidance, rendering consultancy services and giving opinions on problems experienced in practice to all municipalities.
d) Organising all kinds of training activities for the chairpersons, assembly members and personnel of municipalities, departments and partners of these municipalities along with conferences, seminars, panels, workshops etc., establishing training centres, encouraging universalization of examples of good applications through information and knowledge exchange, organising domestic and international visits to that end.
e) Encouraging solidarity and supporting actions with municipalities affected by natural or social incidents through collaboration and cooperation between national and foreign municipalities, establishing disaster and emergency centres whenever necessary to realise coordination between municipalities to that end.
f) Cooperating with public organisations and institutions, local administrations, universities, non-governmental organisations, professional organisations and chambers and similar international organisations on subjects that would be of assistance to the development of municipal works and local services, conducting joint service projects and supporting sister city relations in line with Assembly decrees.
g) Supporting the development of municipal works through the use and universalization of informatics technologies in municipalities.
h) Producing all kinds of printed and visual broadcasts regarding municipal works, conducting research and development actions, supporting studies conducted on the field of municipal works.
i) Supporting municipalities to benefit from national and international loan organisations and funds and to develop projects.
j) Keeping track of developments occurring throughout the world in local administrations field, supporting municipalities to get structured and produce services in line with these developments.
k) Supporting our country’s local administrations in regards to European Union (EU) harmonisation process, contributing in the preparation of EU legal acquis relevant to local administrations and providing guidance in its implementation.
l) Establishing agencies or contact offices abroad whenever necessary in compliance with international agreements and foreign policy as per Assembly decrees and in line with the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and permission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the purposes of realising Union objectives, representing members, keeping track of international local administrations agenda, and establishing direct contact with relevant parties.
m) Providing accommodation and local (intra-city) transportation services to municipality members whenever required at Union headquarters or other places.
n) Issuing identity certificates to municipality mayors.
o) Conducting public opinion polls and surveys for the purpose of determining the opinions and considerations of relevant municipalities regarding Union services.
p) Conducting or supporting social responsibility projects in fields that fall within the circle of duty of municipalities.
q) Realising any and all activities and enterprises towards the purpose of developing municipal works.