{{Short description|Turkish political position}} {{more citations needed|date=June 2015}}
{{Politics of Turkey}} In Turkey, a '''governor''' (Turkish: ''Vali'') is an official responsible for the implementation of legislation, constitutional and government decisions in individual provinces. There are 81 governors in Turkey,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/koseyazisi/121661/Yuh_Olsun__81_ilde_1_Kadin_Vali_.html|title=Cumhuriyet Gazetesi - Zeynep Oral: "Yuh Olsun: 81 İlde 1 Kadın Vali!"|date=21 September 2014|work=cumhuriyet.com.tr|access-date=30 June 2015}}</ref> one for each province, appointed ceremonially by the president on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry. Governors are legally required to be politically neutral and have power over public offices within their province, including the provincial police force. They also have a certain role in local government, though mayors and councillors are elected to these roles in local elections. The provincial head of security (the police force) also concurrently serves as deputy governor.
The ''Kaymakam'' (roughly translated as 'sub-governor') has similar functions and roles as the governor but operates on a district level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palu.gov.tr/?sayfa=icerikler&islem=oku&no=5|title=Kaymakamın Görev ve Yetkileri - T.C. PALU KAYMAKAMLIĞI|work=palu.gov.tr|access-date=30 June 2015}}</ref>
==Governors by province== {{Turkey governors}}
==Appointment== The governor is officially appointed (Turkish: ''atanma'') by the president of Turkey. The Ministry of the Interior first presents their candidate for approval to the president. The president then formally appoints the candidate as the governor of a province.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/settlementissuet00jong_169|url-access=limited|title=The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatial Policies, Modernity and War|last=Jongerden|first=Joost|date=2007-05-28|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9789047420118|pages=[https://archive.org/details/settlementissuet00jong_169/page/n170 141]|language=en}}</ref>
===Term limits=== There are no set term limits for governors, although they can be removed from their position at the will of the Interior Ministry. Governors can also be moved from province to province, meaning that it is not unusual for governors to be appointed to a province in which they have no prior experience or personal connection.{{Citation needed|date = June 2015}}
==Functions== [[File:Özal.jpg|240px|thumbnail|right|Lale Aytaman (Muğla), the first of the only three female governors to ever be appointed in the history of the Turkish Republic, with former president Turgut Özal in 1991]] Governors are mainly tasked with the implementation of government legislation and decisions, meaning that they are senior members of the civil service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buyutec.net/159-valinin-gorevleri-nelerdir/|title=Valinin Görevleri Nelerdir ?|work=Buyutec.Net|access-date=30 June 2015|archive-date=28 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328035326/https://www.buyutec.net/159-valinin-gorevleri-nelerdir/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Ceremonial=== During ceremonies or formal national holiday celebrations, the governor of a province serves as the most senior state official during provincial events unless a national state official (such as the president) is in attendance. The governor presides over the celebrations and formally accepts any awards presented during a ceremony.{{Citation needed|date = June 2015}}
===Civil service=== One of the most important functions of a governor is to make sure decisions, constitutional requirements and new legislation are implemented within the province over which they preside. They are also tasked with the implementation of any demands of government ministries. In the event that legislation cannot be directly or practically implemented, the governor is responsible for bringing about the conditions in which new legislation is compatible with their province.
The governor's powers are decided by government legislation and have the right to issue a 'general command' to implement government decisions, legislation and constitutional requirements.{{Citation needed|date = June 2015}}
===Local government=== Governors have the right to both supervise and reorganise local government positions, which include district and metropolitan municipalities as well as municipal and provincial councillors. Although local elections are held every five years to elect mayors and councillors, the governor (who is unelected) has the right to inspect the proceedings of local administrations as well as conduct any reorganisations that may be deemed necessary. Any legislative changes to local government (such as the 2013 local government reorganisation) are also implemented by the governor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.enkucuk.com/valinin-gorevleri-nelerdir/|title=Valinin Görevleri Nelerdir?|date=2018-01-23|website=2020 Güncel Bilgi|language=tr|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>
===Command over public institutions=== The governor has the right to preside over any matters of state that are not already covered by public institutions within a province, or any matters that do not have an assigned public official to deal with them. The governor can also request public institutions or officials to perform tasks that are related to their aims and purpose if a public institution dealing with said tasks is not available in a province.
The governor has the right to appoint and move some public officials from their positions, as well as provide them his or her own personal viewpoint on certain matters. The governor, as mentioned above, can redetermine the remit and the positions of some public officials within a province.{{Citation needed|date = June 2015}}
===Provincial security=== The governor is the highest level of provincial command of both the police forces and the Gendarmerie. The deputy governor concurrently serves as the head of provincial security, who in turn commands both the head of the provincial police force and the head of the provincial Gendarmerie (A colonel). To maintain peace and security, a governor has the right to take certain decisions intended to stop civil disobediences.{{Citation needed|date = June 2015}}
=== Supergovernor === From July 1987 to 2002 there existed the position of a supergovernor in the OHAL region (Governorship of Region in State of Emergency) with extra powers to resettle whole villages. He supervised the provincial governors of up to 13 provinces mainly populated by Kurds. From 1990 on he was able to coordinate the actions between the provincial governors.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pOOvCQAAQBAJ&q=%22Governor%22+Turkey+-wikipedia&pg=PA141|title=The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatial Policies, Modernity and War|last=Jongerden|first=Joost|date=2007-05-28|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9789047420118|language=en}}</ref>
==Controversies== Since governors are appointed by the government, there have been concerns over whether governors can truly be neutral. This is because they are appointed by a partisan government. Several politicians that have become government ministers, such as Efkan Ala and Vecdi Gönül, have previously served as governors of multiple provinces. Furthermore, governors have been accused on numerous occasions of acting with bias in favour of the government. İzmir Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu accused the governor of İzmir of campaigning for the Justice and Development Party during the 2014 local elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haber7.com/ic-politika/haber/1128186-kocaoglundan-izmir-valisine-veryansin|title=Kocaoğlu'ndan İzmir Valisi'ne veryansın|date=30 September 2014|work=Haber7|access-date=30 June 2015}}</ref> Governors in Hakkari and Denizli were also accused of forcing public employees to attend President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's controversial 'public opening' rallies before the June 2015 general election.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/bu-da-oldu-hakkari-valiliginden-akp-mitingine-katilmayanlara-tehdit/ |title=Bu da oldu…Hakkari Valiliği'nden AKP mitingine katılmayanlara tehdit! |author=Müjgan Yağmur |work=Taraf Gazetesi |access-date=30 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720044014/http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/bu-da-oldu-hakkari-valiliginden-akp-mitingine-katilmayanlara-tehdit/ |archive-date=20 July 2015 }}</ref> In 2015, the Peoples' Democratic Party issued a manifesto pledge to introduce elections for governors, rather than appointing them through the Interior Ministry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2015/04/21/hdp-secim-beyannamesi-metninin-tamami|title=HDP Seçim Beyannamesi metninin tamamı|date=21 April 2015|work=Sabah|access-date=30 June 2015}}</ref>
==Central governors== Besides the 81 provincial governors, some governors who have previously served in a province may be reassigned as a 'central governor' ''(Turkish: Merkez Valisi)''. This post does not carry with it any active responsibilities and is effectively a means of terminating a governor's term without withdrawing their privileges or suspending their pay (though their wages are reduced in comparison to provincial governors). The 'centre' ''(merkez)'' refers to the Ministry of the Interior, where a central governor is given a small office but have no role until they are reassigned to govern a province. Central governors may visit the Interior Ministry whenever they wish. However, central governors may be given special tasks should the Interior Minister deem it necessary. Previously, it was possible for a governor to legal contest their reassignment from a provincial to a central governor in an attempt to remain in an active gubernatorial role, though this privilege has since been removed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milligazete.com.tr/haber/Merkez_valiligine_atanmak_ne_demek/335027#.VZLbIc7zaFI|title=Milli Gazete - Hak Geldi, Batıl Zail Oldu - Merkez valiliğine atanmak ne demek?|work=milligazete.com.tr|access-date=30 June 2015}}</ref>
There are currently around 99 central governors, though this number changes frequently along with re-organisation decrees issued by the government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://emlakkulisi.com/merkez-valisi-kimdir-kac-merkez-valisi-var/288678|title=Merkez Valisi kimdir, kaç Merkez Valisi var? 16-09-2014|work=emlakkulisi.com|access-date=30 June 2015}}</ref>
==List of current governors== {| class="wikitable" |+ | style="vertical-align:top" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! scope="col" |Province ! scope="col" |Governor ! scope="col" |Term start |- | scope="row" |Adana | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Yavuz Selim Köşger || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Adıyaman | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Osman Varol || 26 June 2023 |- | scope="row"| Afyonkarahisar | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Kübra Güran Yiğitbaşı || 12 May 2022 |- | scope="row"| Ağrı | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mustafa Koç || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Amasya | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Önder Bakan || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Ankara | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Vasip Şahin || 6 November 2018 |- | scope="row" | Antalya | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hulusi Şahin|| 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Artvin | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Turan Ergün || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Aydın | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Yakup Canbolat || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Balıkesir | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| İsmail Ustaoğlu || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Bilecik | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Şefik Aygöl || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Bingöl | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ahmet Hamdi Usta || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Bitlis | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ahmet Karakaya || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row"| Bolu | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Abdulaziz Aydın || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row"| Burdur | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Tülay Baydar Bilgihan || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Bursa | scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Erol Ayyıldız|| 10 July 2024 |- | scope="row"| Çanakkale | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ömer Toraman || 10 July 2024 |- | scope="row"| Çankırı | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mustafa Fırat Taşolar || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Çorum | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ali Çalgan || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Denizli | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ömer Faruk Coşkun || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Diyarbakır | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Murat Zorluoğlu || 10 July 2024 |- | scope="row"| Edirne | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Yunus Sezer || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Elazığ | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Numan Hatipoğlu || 10 July 2024 |- | scope="row"| Erzincan | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hamza Aydoğdu || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Erzurum | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mustafa Çiftçi || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Eskişehir | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hüseyin Aksoy || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Gaziantep | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Kemal Çeber || 5 June 2023 |- | scope="row"| Giresun | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mehmet Fatih Serdengeçti || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Gümüşhane | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Aydın Baruş || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row"| Hakkâri | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ali Çelik || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Hatay | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mustafa Masatlı || 26 June 2023 |- | scope="row"| Isparta | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Abdullah Erin || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Mersin | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ali Hamza Pehlivan || 12 May 2022 |- | scope="row" | Istanbul | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Davut Gül || 5 June 2023 |- | scope="row" | İzmir | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Süleyman Elban || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Kars | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ziya Polat || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Kastamonu | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Meftun Dallı || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Kayseri | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Gökmen Çiçek || 12 May 2022 |- | scope="row"| Kırklareli | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Uğur Turan || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row"| Kırşehir | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Murat Sefa Demiryürek || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Kocaeli | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| İlhami Aktaş || 10 July 2024 |}
| colwidth=4em | | style="vertical-align:top" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! scope="col" |Province ! scope="col" |Governor ! scope="col" |Term start |- | scope="row" | Konya | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| İbrahim Akın || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row"| Kütahya | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Musa Işın || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Malatya | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Seddar Yavuz || 10 July 2024 |- | scope="row" | Manisa | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Vahdettin Özkan || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Kahramanmaraş | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mükerrem Ünlüer || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Mardin | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Tuncay Akkoyun || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Muğla | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| İdris Akbıyık || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Muş | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Avni Çakır || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Nevşehir | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ali Fidan || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Niğde | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Cahit Çelik || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Ordu | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Muammer Erol || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Rize | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| İhsan Selim Baydaş || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Sakarya | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Rahmi Doğan || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Samsun | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Orhan Tavlı || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Siirt | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Kemal Kızılkaya || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Sinop | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mustafa Özarslan || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Sivas | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Yılmaz Şimşek || 12 May 2022 |- | scope="row" | Tekirdağ | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Recep Soytürk || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Tokat | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Abdullah Köklü || 10 July 2024 |- | scope="row" | Trabzon | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Aziz Yıldırım || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Tunceli | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Bülent Tekbıyıkoğlu || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row" | Şanlıurfa | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hasan Şıldak || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Uşak | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Naci Aktaş || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row" | Van | scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Ozan Balcı || 12 May 2022 |- | scope="row"| Yozgat | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mehmet Ali Özkan || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Zonguldak | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Osman Hacıbektaşoğlu || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Aksaray | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoğlu || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Bayburt | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mustafa Eldivan || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Karaman | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row"| Kırıkkale | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mehmet Makas || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Batman | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ekrem Canalp || 12 May 2022 |- | scope="row"| Şırnak | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Birol Ekici || 19 September 2024 |- | scope="row"| Bartın | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Nurtaç Arslan || 12 May 2022 |- | scope="row"| Ardahan | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hayrettin Çiçek || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Iğdır | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Ercan Turan || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Yalova | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Hülya Kaya || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Karabük | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Mustafa Yavuz || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Kilis | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Tahir Şahin || 10 August 2023 |- | scope="row"| Osmaniye | scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| Erdinç Yılmaz || 10 June 2020 |- | scope="row"| Düzce | scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Selçuk Aslan || 10 August 2023 |} |}
===Recent changes=== The government usually appoints or moves serving governors to different positions through cabinet decrees. Notable decrees are listed below. {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! scope="col" |Date ! scope="col" |Decree № ! scope="col" |Governors affected |- | 1 August 2012 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2012/08/20120803-30-1.pdf 2012/3511] || 40 |- | 3 May 2013 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2013/05/20130509-8-1.pdf 2013/4699] || 24 |- | 2 August 2013 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2013/08/20130804-9-1.pdf 2013/5197] || 25 |- | 13 February 2014 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2014/02/20140216-2-1.pdf 2014/5916] || 14 |- | 21 May 2014 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2014/05/20140523-20-1.pdf 2013/6366] || 31 |- | 15 September 2014 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2014/09/20140916-8-1.pdf 2014/6780] || 31 |- | 16 February 2015 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2015/02/20150219-4-1.pdf 2015/7295] || 17 |- | 3 August 2015 || [http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2015/08/20150825-7-1.pdf 2015/7991] || 4 |}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://www.icisleri.gov.tr Official website of the Interior Ministry]
{{Governors of Turkey}}
Category:Gubernatorial titles Category:Government occupations Category:Turkish governmental institutions Category:Governors (Turkey)