Skip to main content

Cookie settings

We use cookies to ensure the basic functionalities of the website and to enhance your online experience. You can configure and accept the use of the cookies, and modify your consent options, at any time.

Essential

Preferences

Analytics and statistics

Marketing

Talas: Public Relations in Local Governments: The Example of the Transparent Room at Talas Municipality

Avatar: Official proposal Official proposal

The 'Transparent Room: Face to Face with the Mayor' project is a pioneering governance model implemented by Talas Municipality to institutionalize participatory democracy and administrative transparency. Transitioning into its current physical implementation in 2022, the project relocated the executive decision-making mechanism from the confines of the municipal building directly to the public sphere. By establishing a glass-walled mobile office in Mevlana Square—one of Turkey's most densely populated areas—the municipality has transformed the 'glass house' metaphor of public relations into a tangible reality.

The core methodology is built upon the principle of radical accessibility: every Wednesday, the Mayor, vice-mayors, and department heads convene with citizens without any prior appointment requirements. This approach eliminates bureaucratic obstacles and facilitates an egalitarian dialogue based on James Grunig's Two-Way Symmetrical Communication Model. To ensure that the practice results in concrete administrative outcomes rather than mere conversation, a robust digital tracking system is utilized. Every request is recorded in real-time, analyzed by the relevant directorates, and concluded through a mandatory feedback loop within one week.

The impact of the practice is verified by data provided by the Directorate of Information Technology. Following the 157th week with 8,068 citizens interviewed, the project has now surpassed its 200th week, reaching over 10,000 participants and proving its long-term sustainability. Out of more than 4,700 recorded demands, 91% have been successfully resolved. Functioning as a multidisciplinary hub where social assistance, infrastructure, and superstructure planning are shaped directly by grassroots feedback, the project has achieved a satisfaction rate exceeding 90%. The Transparent Room proves that transparent, face-to-face interaction is the most effective instrument for building institutional trust and sustainable urban governance.

Learn more: www.talas.bel.tr 

https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc1843.pdf 


QR Code

OIDP's official logo

Talas: Public Relations in Local Governments: The Example of the Transparent Room at Talas Municipality

QR Code

Confirm

Please log in

The password is too short.