# Governor of Istanbul

The governor of Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul Valiliği) is the civil service state official responsible for both national government and state affairs in the Province of Istanbul. Similar to the governors of the 80 other provinces of Turkey, the governor of Istanbul is appointed by the Government of Turkey and is responsible for the implementation of government legislation within Istanbul. The governor is also the most senior commander of both the Istanbul provincial police force and the Istanbul Gendarmerie.

## Appointment

The governor of Istanbul is appointed by the President of Turkey, who confirms the appointment after recommendation from the Turkish Government. The Ministry of the Interior first considers and puts forward possible candidates for approval by the cabinet. The governor of Istanbul is therefore not a directly elected position and instead functions as the most senior civil servant in the Province of Istanbul.

### Term limits

The governor is not limited by any term limits and does not serve for a set length of time. Instead, the governor serves at the pleasure of the Government, which can appoint or reposition the governor whenever it sees fit. Such decisions are again made by the cabinet of Turkey. The governor of Istanbul, as a civil servant, may not have any close connections or prior experience in Istanbul Province. It is not unusual for governors to alternate between several different provinces during their bureaucratic career.

## Functions

The governor of Istanbul has both bureaucratic functions and influence over local government. The main role of the governor is to oversee the implementation of decisions by government ministries, constitutional requirements and legislation passed by Grand National Assembly within the provincial borders. The governor also has the power to reassign, remove or appoint officials of a certain number of public offices and has the right to alter the role of certain public institutions if they see fit. Governors are also the most senior public official within the Province, meaning that they preside over any public ceremonies or provincial celebrations being held due to a national holiday. As the commander of the provincial police and Gendarmerie forces, the governor can also take decisions designed to limit civil disobedience and preserve public order. Although mayors of municipalities and councillors are elected during local elections, the governor has the right to re-organise or to inspect the proceedings of local government despite being an unelected position.

## List of governors of Istanbul

Governors of Istanbul :
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office |
| 1 | Mithat Bey | 24 December 1927 | 11 July 1928 |
| 2 | Muhittin Üstündağ | 14 July 1928 | 4 December 1938 |
| 3 | Lütfi Kırdar | 5 December 1938 | 20 October 1949 |
| 4 | Fahrettin Kerim Gökay | 24 October 1946 | 26 November 1957 |
| 5 | Mümtaz Tarhan | 29 November 1957 | 11 May 1958 |
| 6 | Ethem Yetkiner | 14 May 1958 | 27 May 1960 |
| 7 | Refik Tulga | 27 May 1960 | 26 February 1962 |
| 8 | Niyazı Akı | 6 March 1962 | 18 January 1966 |
| 9 | Vefa Poyraz | 18 January 1966 | 2 June 1973 |
| 10 | Namık Kemal Şentürk | 26 June 1973 | 25 October 1977 |
| 11 | İhsan Tekin | 7 February 1978 | 9 April 1979 |
| 12 | Orhan Erbuğ | 29 May 1979 | 6 December 1979 |
| 13 | Nevzat Ayaz | 7 December 1979 | 18 January 1988 |
| 14 | B. Cahit Bayar | 18 January 1988 | 19 August 1991 |
| 15 | Hayri Kozakçıoğlu | 19 August 1991 | 1 November 1995 |
| 16 | Rıdvan Yenişen | 4 November 1995 | 24 July 1997 |
| 17 | Kutlu Aktaş | 24 July 1997 | 4 August 1998 |
| 18 | Erol Çakır | 6 August 1998 | 16 February 2003 |
| 19 | Muammer Güler | 17 February 2003 | 31 March 2010 |
| 20 | Hüseyin Avni Mutlu | 31 March 2010 | 25 September 2014 |
| 21 | Vasip Şahin | 25 September 2014 | 1 November 2018 |
| 22 | Ali Yerlikaya | 1 November 2018 | 4 June 2023 |
| 23 | Davut Gül | 5 June 2023 | |