By Tuncay Kayaoglu
ISTANBUL
A new Turkish virtual platform aims to enhance local governance through an increased interaction and communication between the community and its leaders.
A group of volunteers in Istanbul completed their two-year-long work in 2016 and introduced a web-based program, called "Muhit" -- meaning "neighborhood".
"We wanted to establish a platform to enhance the exchange of ideas between citizens and local decision-makers instead of [it being] one-sided communication," Sera Tolgay, a 24-year-old member of the development group, told Anadolu Agency.
Mukhtars, local representatives of the state in neighborhoods, argue that they have been accessible all the time via phone.
The Ottoman Empire established the mukhtar system for rural areas in the 1830s; the Turkish Republic kept the network and expanded it to the country’s cities in 1944. They are elected every five years.
There are more than 50,000 mukhtars -- 600 are women -- across Turkey.
With the emergence of the Internet, local municipalities have established mechanisms to address daily problems encountered by residents in the city. They can submit for instance their grievances through social media channels or even by phones.
Still, mukhtars have continued to play an important role in the country’s social fabric.
In cities, mukhtars often relate problems faced by residents to higher officials while in rural areas, they take a more leadership-type role, i.e. settling disputes between neighbors, etc.
"When you enter into an office of mukhtars, you usually see them in front of you," said Serap Alp Bilir, a female mukhtar of the Fenerbahce neighborhood, in Kadikoy on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. She notes that they are generally available.
However, these communication channels have not been designed to include other members of a community unless they are keenly aware of particular problems like the need for a playground or a parking lot.
Moreover, many residents are generally unaware of problems in their small districts and are unable, due to various daily constraints, to get together to raise the issue with local authorities.
"The platform paves the way for masses to participate into the improvement of their surroundings," Tolgay stressed.
Once a person signs on to the platform, he or she can add a new post to draw attention to a problem and can even offer a solution. Others can back this post to increase awareness on the issue.
Noting that such a problem exists in their surrounding area, local leaders can then also address it -- and perhaps even try to a collective solution.
Moreover, users can organize a small campaign for a particular problem, such as buildings parks.
Some mukhtars previously dismissed the platform, fearing that it would mean an extra expenditure at a time when their revenues have shrunk in recent years due to the state’s decision to provide documents -- such as residence permits -- through online services.
Mukhtars do not receive a salary. Instead, they pocket a $460 monthly allowance, forcing many to also hold a regular job.
Moreover, Tolgay acknowledged that certain local leaders feared that the forum would turn into a wailing wall.
Despite these concerns, she said that local leaders and users have supported the platform.
Mukhtar Bilir said she excitedly supported the platform and said she even lobbied it among her colleagues as well as in her neighborhood to increase awareness for this virtual meeting place.
"In this Internet era, Muhit is a great program," Bilir stated.
Although she regularly checks the forum, she hinted it is early to talk about its impact on mukhtars’ daily functions.
Developers aim to build a mobile application.
Tolgay said that the platform has received a warm welcome so far from users.
"People from Istanbul, Antalya, Izmir or Sirnak have added problems and recommendations on the platform," she said.
So far, many users post recommendations on public space, playgrounds and traffic, according to Tolgay.
The Muhit won an award at the 2016 IDEAS Global Challenge organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was received $5,000.
The IDEAS Challenge is an annual competition that rewards "innovative service projects", in which 46 teams competed in nine categories this year.
Tolgay noted that she received proposals from four countries to implement the platform in their countries after the challenge.
