An application for citizen participation: the open-door units of Ministry of Interior

Abstract

Participation, as one of today’s key concept, not only ensures citizens' involvement in the administrative process but also plays a crucial role in the feasibility of democracy alongside transparency and accountability. The concept of participation, which did not find much place in the traditional understanding of public administration within the administrative process, has removed citizens from their passive position and given them a greater voice by enabling them to take on a kind of supervisory function within the understanding of governance. With the rise of digitalization supporting participation, information acquisition, and oversight functions, it is now possible for citizens to have a greater impact on administrative matters. In Turkish public administration, a reform process has taken place since the 2000s, influenced by administrative approaches implemented worldwide and the process of harmonization with the European Union. Alongside the changes and transformations occurring at many different levels, the issue of participation has also received greater attention. The process has been legally supported by the Right to Information Act, and the CİMER, White Table, and Open-Door initiatives, which enable participation at the local and central levels, have sought to involve more citizens in the administrative process, backed by the positive effects of digitalization.