--- title: Türkiye's Administrative Structure slug: turkiyes-administrative-structure url: /detay/turkiyes-administrative-structure type: article language: English entity: primary: Türkiye's Administrative Structure type: article disambiguation: Türkiye's administrative structure: Understand its 81 provinces, districts, and municipalities. A unitary system combining central and local governance. categories: - name: General Knowledge slug: genel-kultur url: /kategori/genel-kultur - name: Law slug: hukuk url: /kategori/hukuk tags: - Municipalities - Turkish Provinces - Public administration author: Doğan Eşkinat created_at: 2025-03-24T11:14:05.017296+03:00 updated_at: 2025-04-17T10:38:22.482481+03:00 --- # Türkiye's Administrative Structure ## Article Content The administrative structure of the Republic of Türkiye is a unitary system organized into several hierarchical levels of territorial governance. It combines centralized state oversight with local self-governance. The framework is defined primarily by the 1982 Constitution, Law No. 5442 on Provincial Administration, and Law No. 5216 on Metropolitan Municipalities, along with various sector-specific laws. Türkiye is divided into 81 provinces (il), which are further subdivided into districts (ilçe), municipalities ([belediye](/en/detay/belediye-4/llms.txt)), and neighborhoods ([mahalle](/en/detay/mahalle/llms.txt)) or villages ([köy](/en/detay/koy-3/llms.txt)). Each province is overseen by a centrally appointed governor, while local governance is carried out by elected mayors and municipal councils. ### **Provinces (İller)** Türkiye consists of 81 provinces, each serving as the highest-level administrative unit. Each province [has](/en/detay/has-3/llms.txt) a capital district, typically bearing the same name (e.g., Izmir province and Izmir city). Provinces are governed by a Governor ([Vali](/en/detay/vali-4/llms.txt)), appointed by the President based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Interior. The legal basis for provincial administration is Law No. 5442. #### **Location Codes** Each province has a designated two-digit location code that is featured on license plates. The first 67 were assigned alphabetically to existing provinces in 1962. All urban centers, which were recognized as provinces later, have been assigned the following available number. As of 2025, Türkiye's provinces have the following location codes: 01 - [Adana](/en/detay/adana-2/llms.txt)  02 - Adıyaman  03 - Afyonkarahisar  04 - Ağrı  05 - [Amasya](/en/detay/amasya-2/llms.txt)  06 - [Ankara](/en/detay/ankara-2/llms.txt)  07 - [Antalya](/en/detay/antalya-2/llms.txt)  08 - Artvin  09 - Aydın  10 - Balıkesir  11 - Bilecik  12 - Bingöl  13 - Bitlis  14 - [Bolu](/en/detay/bolu-2/llms.txt)  15 - [Burdur](/en/detay/burdur-2/llms.txt)  16 - [Bursa](/en/detay/bursa-2/llms.txt)  17 - [Çanakkale](/en/detay/canakkale-2/llms.txt)  18 - Çankırı  19 - [Çorum](/en/detay/corum-2/llms.txt)  20 - Denizli  21 - Diyarbakır  22 - Edirne  23 - Elazığ  24 - Erzincan  25 - [Erzurum](/en/detay/erzurum-2/llms.txt)  26 - Eskişehir  27 - Gaziantep  28 - Giresun  29 - [Gümüşhane](/en/detay/gumushane-2/llms.txt)  30 - Hakkari  31 - Hatay  32 - [Isparta](/en/detay/isparta-2/llms.txt)  33 - Mersin  34 - İstanbul  35 - İzmir  36 - [Kars](/en/detay/kars-2/llms.txt)  37 - [Kastamonu](/en/detay/kastamonu-2/llms.txt)  38 - Kayseri  39 - Kırklareli  40 - Kırşehir  41 - Kocaeli  42 - [Konya](/en/detay/konya-2/llms.txt)  43 - [Kütahya](/en/detay/kutahya-2/llms.txt)  44 - [Malatya](/en/detay/malatya-2/llms.txt)  45 - Manisa  46 - [Kahramanmaraş](/en/detay/kahramanmaras-2/llms.txt)  47 - Mardin  48 - [Muğla](/en/detay/mugla-2/llms.txt)  49 - [Muş](/en/detay/mus-3/llms.txt)  50 - Nevşehir  51 - Niğde  52 - [Ordu](/en/detay/ordu-2/llms.txt)  53 - Rize  54 - Sakarya  55 - [Samsun](/en/detay/samsun-2/llms.txt)  56 - Siirt  57 - Sinop  58 - Sivas  59 - Tekirdağ  60 - [Tokat](/en/detay/tokat-727422/llms.txt)  61 - [Trabzon](/en/detay/trabzon-2/llms.txt)  62 - Tunceli  63 - Şanlıurfa  64 - [Uşak](/en/detay/usak-2/llms.txt)  65 - [Van](/en/detay/van-2/llms.txt)  66 - [Yozgat](/en/detay/yozgat-2/llms.txt)  67 - [Zonguldak](/en/detay/zonguldak-2/llms.txt)  68 - [Aksaray](/en/detay/aksaray-2/llms.txt)  69 - [Bayburt](/en/detay/bayburt-2/llms.txt)  70 - [Karaman](/en/detay/karaman-2/llms.txt)  71 - Kırıkkale  72 - [Batman](/en/detay/batman-4/llms.txt)  73 - Şırnak  74 - Bartın  75 - [Ardahan](/en/detay/ardahan-2/llms.txt)  76 - Iğdır  77 - [Yalova](/en/detay/yalova-2/llms.txt)  78 - [Karabük](/en/detay/karabuk-2/llms.txt)  79 - Kilis  80 - Osmaniye  81 - [Düzce](/en/detay/duzce-2/llms.txt)  ### **Districts (İlçeler)** Provinces are subdivided into 973 districts. Each district is governed by a District Governor ([Kaymakam](/en/detay/kaymakam-6/llms.txt)), also appointed by the central government. Districts [may](/en/detay/may-748395/llms.txt) include both urban and rural areas. ### **Municipalities (Belediyeler)** Municipalities are the principal units of local governance. They are classified as: *• Metropolitan Municipalities (Büyükşehir Belediyesi) – Found in 30 of the 81 provinces.* *• District Municipalities (İlçe Belediyesi) – Operating within metropolitan provinces.* *• Town Municipalities (Belde Belediyesi) – Serving smaller settlements.* *Municipalities are led by elected Mayors (Belediye Başkanı) and Municipal Councils (Belediye Meclisi), who serve five-year terms. Local governance is primarily regulated by Law No. 5393 on Municipalities and Law No. 5216 on Metropolitan Municipalities.* ### **Metropolitan Municipality System** In Türkiye’s largest urban centers, a two-tiered system applies: a central Metropolitan Municipality coordinates citywide services, while each district has its own elected District Mayor. The Metropolitan Mayor oversees services such as public transport, water management, waste disposal, and large infrastructure projects. This system is governed by Law No. 5216. As of 2025, there are 30 metropolitan municipalities in Türkiye (in alphabetical order): 1. Adana  2. Ankara  3. Antalya  4. Aydın  5. Balıkesir  6. Bursa  7. Denizli  8. Diyarbakır  9. Erzurum  10. Eskişehir  11. Gaziantep  12. Hatay  13. Istanbul  14. Izmir  15. Kahramanmaraş  16. Kayseri  17. Kocaeli  18. Konya  19. Malatya  20. Manisa  21. Mardin  22. Mersin  23. Muğla  24. Ordu  25. Sakarya  26. Samsun  27. Şanlıurfa  28. Tekirdağ  29. Trabzon  30. Van ### **Neighborhoods and Villages (Mahalle & Köy)** Neighborhoods (Mahalle) are the smallest administrative units in urban areas. Each is represented by a [Muhtar](/en/detay/muhtar-2/llms.txt), elected by residents. Villages (Köy) are the rural counterparts and are also headed by a Muhtar and a Village Council (İhtiyar Heyeti). While muhtars are elected, they do not have legislative or financial authority. ### **Central Oversight and Autonomy** Despite elements of local self-governance, Türkiye maintains a highly centralized administrative system. Governors and district governors serve as representatives of the central state and supervise the legality and functionality of local governments. The Ministry of Interior has broad authority to inspect, audit, and if necessary, suspend or replace local officials under investigation. ### **Role in Public Services** Local governments manage services such as public transportation, zoning, sanitation, cultural and recreational services, and some infrastructure projects. Core sectors—education, policing, healthcare, and social welfare—remain under central government control. ## Academic Sources and References 1. Law on Metropolitan Municipalities https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=5216&MevzuatTur=1&MevzuatTertip=5 2. Law on Municipalities https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=5393&MevzuatTur=1&MevzuatTertip=5 3. Law on Provincial Administration https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/1.3.5442.pdf 4. Law on Special Provincial Administrations https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=5302&MevzuatTur=1&MevzuatTertip=5 5. Law on Villages https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/1.3.442.pdf