Abstract:

In 1992, in the city of Rio of Brazil, Rio Summit was organized in the name of finding solutions to the problems with the global scale. Based on Chapter 28 of Agenda 21, which is a document to be appeared at the end of the summit, it was decided that Local Agenda 21 are to be established and be given central position. In this respect, the states who attended both to this summit and to HABITAT II organized in Istanbul in 1996 had taken the decision of implementing Local Agenda 21s in their own countries. The city councils appeared in Turkey are pioneered by these Local Agenda 21s. City councils are still considered to be new institutions for Turkey and many municipalities have not been established them yet. Even amongst the established ones, there are councils those only appear on the paper and do not function.  Within this respect, the aim of this study is to evaluate the participation perception of the members of city councils in Marmara Region and to analyze whether the city councils are platforms to provide contribution for local democracy. In the study, firstly, parallel to the evaluation of the city councils, local democracy and political participation issues are considered to be the basis of the subject. Secondly, data concluded from the questionnaire made among the City Council Members of the Administrative Boards of all Marmara Region, is tried to be evaluated.

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