Turkey: Ankara Is Shrinking

Dincer, who is the architect of the reform, said that with the delegation of powers, Ankara would shrink by about 50%. The motion, which was forwarded to Parliament, transfers a big part of the rights of the central administration together with their resources to local administrations. It renovates the audit structure of the central administration and local organizations altogether.

Dincer said, “The Turkish public bureaucracy have become obese. It continues to live and breathe but it cannot produce anything.” Regarding the criticisms that the reform would adversely affect the unitary structure, Dincer said that the motion included nothing pertaining to the unitary structure of the state. Dincer said, “We do not trust each other. You do not trust me, Justice and Development Party (AKP), or Parliament. The army does not trust civilians and vice versa. There is a serious need to re-establish confidence in this society.”

The Public Administration Reform foresees to transfer many services directed from Ankara to local administrations. Only 5 out of 15 executive ministries will be allowed to organize in provinces. The provincial organizations of the remaining 10 ministries will be transferred to local administrations.

Judiciary, Defense, security, intelligence, foreign affairs, foreign policy, finance, treasury, foreign trade, customs, market-related arrangements, and other duties such as ensuring unity of education will not be transferred to local administrations. All these duties will be accomplished by governors or district governors as they used to be.

The central administration will establish general principles, policies, objectives, targets, and standards regarding public services. It will audit the services provided and ensure coordination.

The title of Deputy Head of Office will be removed, which will lead to elimination of 4 thousand 569 posts and provide 500 trillion TL saving.

The number of state ministries will be limited with 8 and the Cabinet will be composed of 23 ministries.

The local organizations of the Foreign, Education, Public Works, Health, Transport, Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, Energy, Culture and Tourism and Environment and Forest ministries will be eliminated in one year.

Institutions tied to the Presidency, Parliament, Defense Ministry, Turkish Armed Forces, National Security Board (MGK), MIT, and Foreign Ministry will not be affected by the clauses of the reform arranging hierarchical ranks and titles. The hierarchical ranks and titles in these institutions will continue to be determined by the founding laws.

The Public Administration Reform foresees to select a “public auditor” (a kind of Ombudsman) in every province so as to audit the activities of the local administrations and institutions and firms tied to them in terms of conformity with law and to assist in solving the problems among these institutions.