Amed Metropolitan Municipal co-mayor Gültan Kışanak said: "Local authorities are seen as sub-contractors of the government", adding that the understanding and legislation regarding local government in Turkey must change.

The Academy of Local Administrations of the Union of South East Anatolian Municipalities (GABB) is running a two-day seminar for women co-mayors and co-deputy mayors on the topic of "Social Gender" and "the Co-mayoral system".

GABB co-chair and Amed Metropolitan Municipal co-mayor Gültan Kışanak spoke at the opening of the seminar at the meeting hall of the Sümer Park Reception Salon in Amed (Diyarbakır). Kışanak said that as mayors they had a duty to meet all the needs of life, raise the level of the quality of services and be responsible for finding solutions to all the problems of the city.  

Kışanak added that they were aware of their responsibility to construct the future along with the people, saying: "this is an understanding of autonomous administration and the will of the people".

Local government legislation must change

Kışanak said it was time legislation and attitudes to local government in Turkey changed, adding: "Unfortunately, legislation in Turkey regarding local government does not recognise our rights. We are seen as sub-contractors for central government. It is as if the government in Ankara has given us the cleaning and sewerage jobs it cannot do itself. We are restricted to being sub-contractors. Legislation has been designed to limit our scope and ensure we act within the parameters laid down by central government."

Kışanak concluded, saying that as long as women have no say in local government it will be not be possible to talk of democratisation at a local level.

At the two-day seminar there will be discussions on: "Local government and women", "Social gender equality" and "the co-mayoral system in municipalities".