# Governor of İzmir

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

## Appointment

The governor of İzmir 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 İzmir is therefore not a directly elected position and instead functions as the most senior civil servant in the Province of İzmir.

### 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 İzmir, as a civil servant, may not have any close connections or prior experience in İzmir Province. It is not unusual for governors to alternate between several different provinces during their bureaucratic career.

## Functions

The governor of İzmir 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 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 İzmir

Governors of İzmir :
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office |
| 1 | Ferit Paşa | 7 February 1909 | 2 May 1909 |
| 2 | Kazım Paşa | 2 May 1909 | 17 September 1909 |
| 3 | M. Muhtar Paşa | 17 September 1909 | 2 October 1910 |
| 4 | N. Nazım Paşa | 16 October 1910 | 21 January 1911 |
| 5 | Ahmet Reşit Bey | 18 August 1912 | 17 October 1912 |
| (4) | N. Nazım Paşa | 23 January 1913 | 19 September 1913 |
| 6 | Rahmi Arslan | 29 September 1913 | 13 October 1917 |
| 7 | H. Tahsin Uzer | 9 January 1918 | 28 November 1918 |
| 8 | Nurettin Paşa | 26 January 1919 | 22 March 1919 |
| 9 | Ahmet İzzet Bey | 23 March 1919 | ............... |
| 10 | Cavit Bey | 1 May 1920 | 26 September 1920 |
| 11 | Macit Bey | 26 September 1920 | ............... |
| 12 | Mustafa Abdülhalik Renda | 11 September 1922 | 8 August 1923 |
| 13 | Hüseyin Aziz Akyürek | 28 August 1923 | 21 July 1924 |
| 14 | Kazım Dirik | 27 March 1926 | 7 August 1935 |
| 15 | Fazlı Güleç | 9 August 1935 | 17 March 1939 |
| 16 | İbrahim Etem Aykut | 29 May 1939 | 3 June 1940 |
| 17 | Fuat Tuksal | 5 August 1940 | 23 May 1942 |
| 18 | Mustafa Sabri Öney | 3 July 1942 | 28 December 1943 |
| 19 | Şefik Refik Soyer | 26 January 1944 | 31 January 1948 |
| 20 | Osman Sabri Adal | 19 February 1948 | 30 November 1951 |
| 21 | Muzaffer Tuğsavul | 28 January 1952 | 15 May 1952 |
| (20) | Osman Sabri Adal | 16 June 1952 | 6 September 1952 |
| 22 | Muzaffer Göksenin | 7 September 1953 | 2 October 1954 |
| 23 | Kemal Hadımlı | 16 December 1954 | 27 May 1960 |
| 24 | Burhanettin Uluç | 11 June 1960 | 7 November 1961 |
| 25 | Enver Saatçıgil | 17 March 1962 | 20 June 1964 |
| 26 | Niyazi Dalokay | 20 June 1964 | 8 September 1964 |
| 27 | Namık Kemal Şentürk | 4 December 1964 | 22 June 1973 |
| 28 | Mehmet Raşit Bilgegörün | 23 June 1973 | 15 December 1974 |
| 29 | Orhan Erbuğ | 16 December 1974 | 2 July 1975 |
| 30 | Mustafa Uygur | 15 July 1975 | 8 December 1975 |
| 31 | Turgut Eğilmez | 6 January 1976 | 19 September 1977 |
| 32 | Necdet Calp | 11 February 1978 | 11 December 1979 |
| 33 | Nazmi Çengelci | 11 December 1979 | 8 January 1981 |
| 34 | Hüseyin Öğütçen | 8 January 1981 | 10 February 1984 |
| 35 | Vecdi Gönül | 13 February 1984 | 11 January 1988 |
| 36 | Nevzat Ayaz | 23 January 1988 | 17 October 1989 |
| 37 | Kutlu Aktaş | 21 April 1990 | 23 July 1997 |
| 38 | Erol Çakır | 24 July 1997 | 13 August 1998 |
| 39 | Kemal Nehrozoğlu | 14 August 1998 | 30 May 2000 |
| 40 | Alaaddin Yüksel | 9 August 2000 | 17 February 2003 |
| 41 | Yusuf Ziya Göksu | 19 February 2003 | 16 July 2005 |
| 42 | Oğuz Kağan Köksal | 29 July 2005 | 9 March 2007 |
| 43 | Mustafa Cahit Kıraç | 20 March 2007 | 21 May 2013 |
| 44 | Mustafa Toprak | 31 May 2013 | 10 June 2016 |
| 45 | Erol Ayyıldız | 10 June 2016 | 18 June 2020 |
| 46 | Yavuz Selim Köşger | 9 June 2020 | Incumbent |