Context

Mersin, a major city in southern Türkiye along the eastern Mediterranean coast, serves as a key geographic and economic hub. With vast agricultural lands, forests, and highlands, Mersin plays a crucial role in Türkiye's Mediterranean economy. The city, shaped by many civilizations, flourished during the Ottoman period and expanded further with the Republic of Türkiye's establishment, growing through industry, trade, agriculture, and tourism. Its diverse cultural fabric reflects the coexistence of various ethnic and religious communities. Internal migration and refugee flows have significantly influenced its demographic structure, making Mersin one of Türkiye's most dynamic cities. Beyond the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, the city hosts district municipalities, the Governorship of Mersin, the Mersin Free Zone, chambers representing different industries, four universities, research institutes, private enterprises, NGOs, and international collaborations. Mersin International Port, one of the world's 100 largest ports, plays a vital role in trade and commerce. Agriculture, industry, logistics, and tourism form the economic backbone of the city. Its strategic location, combined with a strong focus on social cohesion, sustainable development, and international partnerships, reinforces Mersin's significance as a leading economic and cultural center in Türkiye and the wider Mediterranean region.

Precedents

The participatory mechanisms developed by Mersin Metropolitan Municipality have transformed existing civic engagement into a more institutionalized, systematic, and sustainable structure, significantly enhancing participatory democracy since 2019 through the establishment of the NGO's Participation and Civil Society Relations Office. The Office launched the "Voices of Mersin" initiative, organizing regular meetings with the mayor and representatives of NGOs  in the city foster active participation, collaboration, and shared responsibility in shaping the city's future. Along with this initative, the Department of Women and Family Services of the Municipality has launched the "Monday Talks" initiative for women in the city to enhance participatory democracy at the local level. The initiative organizes weekly meetings with women's associations, allowing the municipality to share updates on women's services, monitor activities, and plan new projects collaboratively. The model strengthens NGO involvement, improves coordination in fieldwork such as citywide activities and village-matching project, and fosters greater cooperation between local government and civil society, emphasizing women's active role in shaping their community and influencing decision-making. The meetings provide women a dedicated platform to express their views and influence decision-making every Monday.

Objectives

This initiative aims to increase collaboration between local government and NGOs to improve inclusive services for women. It ensures that services are aligned with their needs by encouraging women's associations to participate in decision-making processes. It improves access to municipal services by encouraging coordination. Mersin Metropolitan Municipality also supports NGOs by addressing capacity gaps and matching their expertise with urban and rural needs.

Methodology

Mersin Metropolitan Municipality launched Monday Talks in March 2023 to strengthen collaboration with women's associations and enhance participation in local governance processes. The process was designed around regional structure, timeline, process facilitation, and stakeholder involvement, aiming to support women's active roles in social, economic, and cultural spheres.

To increase the effectiveness of the initiative citywide, a regional planning approach was adopted. Regular meetings were held in central districts (Yenişehir, Mezitli, Toroslar, Akdeniz), while in rural districts (Tarsus, Silifke, Anamur, Mut, etc.), the process was managed through field visits and local partnerships. This structure enabled women's associations to establish direct connections with local needs.

The initiative was carried out in four main phases. First, the capacities of women's associations across the city were assessed, and priority service areas were identified. During this process, one-on-one consultations with NGOs were conducted, needs assessments were completed, and a roadmap for the model was developed. Then, participation mechanisms were established, including the launch of " Monday Talks ," where information was shared about municipal services related to women, children, and rural areas.

To facilitate the process, coordination among municipal departments was ensured, NGOs were supported in participating in fieldwork, and women's associations were matched with villages for local initiatives. Additionally, specialized training programs and awareness-raising activities were implemented. During the evaluation phase, the impact of services was assessed, feedback was collected, and the implementation model was made sustainable. This model stands out as an important innovation that strengthens women's participation in decision-making processes and supports cooperation between local government and NGOs.

Commmunication

A comprehensive communication strategy was implemented to engage a broad audience and increase public interest. A diverse network of stakeholders, including women's associations, Mersin Bar Association, universities, district municipalities and the city council, provide regular updates and calls for participation. Weekly phone calls are made to invite stakeholders and RSVPs are collected to maintain participation. A WhatsApp group provides updates, making communication more efficient. The meetings follow an "open door" approach that encourages inclusivity, allowing stakeholders to participate without a formal invitation. This model strengthens collaboration between local government and NGOs, enabling accessible and participatory decision-making. Additionally, "word of mouth" plays a key role in spreading information organically. Regular participants share meeting details with other organizations, expanding access and encouraging broader stakeholder participation in the initiative.

Innovation

This initiative's innovation lies in systematically uniting local government and NGOs to collaboratively plan and implement services. Through the Participatory Governance Mechanism, meetings enhance transparency and accountability in decision-making. The Target-Oriented Matching Model pairs NGOs with villages, creating tailored local solutions for more effective services. The Dynamic Communication and Feedback Mechanism ensures that field insights gathered in weekly meetings swiftly inform policies and practices. With Expertise-Based Support, the municipality leverages NGOs' knowledge to enhance training and awareness programs. A Holistic Approach integrates services for women, rural communities etc. promoting gender equality and local development. The Localized and Direct Solutions model engages village leaders and local NGOs to adapt services to regional needs. This comprehensive approach fosters a sustainable, participatory governance framework, benefiting the entire community.

Inclusion

This initiative's innovation lies in systematically uniting local government and NGOs to collaboratively plan and implement services. Through the Participatory Governance Mechanism, meetings enhance transparency and accountability in decision-making. The Target-Oriented Matching Model pairs NGOs with villages, creating tailored local solutions for more effective services. The Dynamic Communication and Feedback Mechanism ensures that field insights gathered in weekly meetings swiftly inform policies and practices. With Expertise-Based Support, the municipality leverages NGOs' knowledge to enhance training and awareness programs. A Holistic Approach integrates services for women, rural communities etc. promoting gender equality and local development. The Localized and Direct Solutions model engages village leaders and local NGOs to adapt services to regional needs. This comprehensive approach fosters a sustainable, participatory governance framework, benefiting the entire community.

Evaluation

The municipality's initiatives for women, children, people with disabilities, the elderly, migrants, and disadvantaged groups in rural neighborhoods are monitored through various evaluation and tracking mechanisms such as Briefings presented in meetings with NGOs, regular reporting of fieldworks, municipal online platforms, and other feedback mechanisms. These mechanisms ensure transparency and efficiency, enabling citizens to stay informed about municipal services. Additionally, strategic plans and action plans of the municipality are carried out in collaboration with city stakeholders ensure citizens contribute to planning of municipal services. The Local Equality Action Plan, prepared by the Department of Women and Family Services, serves as an evaluation tool, publishing results and indicators for public access. These processes not only enable citizens to track services but also encourage their participation in a more inclusive and participatory governance model.

Impacts and result

The initative we carried out strengthened the collaboration between local government and NGO's ensuring that communities in the city had access to more inclusive and effective services. Since the beginning of the initiative 79 meetings with NGOs have been held and NGO's were integrated into municipal services, taking on a more active role in fieldwork.

In particular, the pairing of NGO's with villages and their coordinated work with the municipality enabled a faster response to citizens' demands. As a result, concrete solutions were developed in areas such as education, awareness-raising, and social support services.

This model contributed to the adoption of a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance approach within local administration. By directly involving NGO's in decision-making processes, the policy-making process became more democratic. It also enhanced the effectiveness and sustainability of services, particularly in social areas

To ensure the sustainability of this model:

• Long-term cooperation protocols were established with NGO's.
• Coordination mechanisms for NGO's were developed within municipal units.
• The data and experiences gained were integrated into future local policy-making processes to ensure the model's permanence.

As a result, the initiative has contributed to a lasting transformation in both public administration and civil society, strengthening participatory democracy in the city.

Practice overview

As Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, we have implemented this model to strengthen cooperation with NGO's enhance democratic participation, and provide citizens with more inclusive and effective services. Mersin is a representation of Turkey, a city shaped by migration, where different cultures coexist, fostering a long-standing culture of solidarity and a multi-layered way of life. This initiative aims to further advance Mersin's deep-rooted tradition of solidarity and transform collaboration between local government and NGOs into a permanent structure.

As part of this approach, 79 stakeholder meetings, held every Monday, have strengthened our municipality's services for women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, refugees, and disadvantaged groups living in rural neighborhoods. The pairing of NGOs with rural communities and their coordinated work with the municipality has enabled faster responses to local needs, expanding education, awareness, and social support services.

Mersin's multicultural and multi-layered structure has allowed this model to reach a broader impact. By integrating NGOs into decision-making processes, public services have become more transparent, accountable, and sustainable.

To ensure the sustainability of this model:

• Long-term cooperation protocols have been established with NGOs.
• Coordination mechanisms within municipal departments have been developed to facilitate NGOs engagement.
• Data and experiences obtained through this initiative have been integrated into future local policy-making processes.

This initiative has significantly contributed to institutionalizing participatory democracy and making local government policies more inclusive. Rooted in Mersin's strong tradition of social solidarity, this model has created a platform for diverse stakeholders to come together and develop joint solutions, emerging as an innovative example that encourages active citizen participation in governance.

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