Fatma Susam

Izmir Governorship is one of the 81 province governorships of Türkiye. The administration in Turkey is based on the principles of centralization and local administration. The administrative services of the country are carried out, besides the central administration, by local administration organizations, the provincial administrations (governorships). Izmir Governorship represents the central government at the provincial level. It is the highest public authority in the province and has a big structure that coordinates all public activities in Izmir. The scope of activities includes education, security, environment, public works, culture, social services, health, integration of disadvantaged into the society, EU-related activities, etc. Izmir is the third biggest city in Turkey with 4 million populations and Izmir Governorship has 256 staff to sustain public services in the province. There are several sub-units under the Governorship for providing different services and European Union and Foreign Relations Bureau is one of them. The Bureau was established on June 12, 2007, and it is responsible for the preparation and implementation of international and local projects for benefit of the citizens and to make a social contribution. The Bureau has broad experience in developing partnerships, it is able to support and promote the implementation of the European policy agenda for growth, jobs, equality, climate change, accessibility of PWDs, environmental degradation, and social inclusion at the local, national, and EU levels. Izmir Governorship has a wide structure and all of its units operate in cooperation for the efficient execution of public services. In this respect and the Bureau has close relations with the Provincial Directorate of Press and Public Relations, the Provincial Directorate of Relations with Civil Society, and the Provincial Directorate of Migration for implementation of projects and reaching peoples from different levels of society. It also works in cooperation with relevant public, municipal and social actors at the local and national levels.