Abstract:

The emergence of local governments in the modern sense in Turkey coincides with the post-Tanzimat period. However, local needs were tried to be met, albeit partially, by kadı, foundation and guild organizations, which were also called classical institutions, in order to meet local needs, even before the Tanzimat period. A Western-style local government structure is undoubtedly the product of the post-Tanzimat period. However, the emergence of today's local governments in the modern sense is the result of a certain process. In this process, the first Turkish constitution, 1876 Kanun-i Esasi, followed by the 1921 Constitution and the post-republic constitutions of 1924, 1961 and 1982, respectively, had a great impact. It is seen that concepts such as a separate legal entity, local autonomy and local democracy, which we can count among the basic features of modern local governments, could only be mentioned in the post-republican period. This study aims to present the map of the process based on the legal and social developments experienced in the development of this process and the rooting of modern local governments by considering the modernization process of local governments in our country, starting from the adoption of the 1876 legal principle. For this purpose, the study will include a comprehensive evaluation of the process by making a situation analysis through a literature review.

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