Municipal police ( tr, Belediye zabıtası) is a law enforcement body responsible for ensuring the implementation and control of public services in different
municipalities in
Turkey. The police officers also use their powers as traffic police in
metropolitan municipalities.
History
The origin of the law enforcement organization in Turkey is based on the ''ihtisab'' system that has an important place in the Turkish tradition and Islamic culture, based on which the first office for public regularity was created.
During the time of the
Ottoman Empire, services related to the cities were carried out by different institutions and individuals such as the
Grand Vizier
Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
,
Agha of the Janissaries, secretariats,
kadis,
soubashi
The ''soubashi'' ( tr, subaşı, sq, subash, sh, subaša) was an Ottoman gubernatorial title used to describe different positions within Ottoman hierarchy, depending on the context. This title was given to Ottoman timar holders who generated more ...
s,
Kapudan Pasha, the
Djebedji, and
serasker
''Serasker'', or ''seraskier'' ( ota, سرعسكر; ), is a title formerly used in the Ottoman Empire for a vizier who commanded an army.
Following the suppression of the Janissaries in 1826, Sultan Mahmud II transferred the functions of the ...
s. Among these institutions, the closest duties to today's municipal police were carried out by the ''
kadi''s or judges. A clergyman responsible for enforcement and executions was assigned to each judge. The judges, together with their officers (''ihtisap ağaları''), carried out inspections and checked for the security, cleanliness, the prices and quality of the goods in the bazaar and the market. Officers also collected taxes from tradesmen, along with their assistants (''kuloğlanlar'').
As a result of the abolition of the Janissaries in 1826, the initial ''ihtisab'' system was removed and replaced by the Office for Public Regularity, established by Sultan
Mahmud II. The duties of the assistants (''kuloğlanlar'') were also transferred to the new office's custodians. 4 September 1826 is generally accepted as the establishment date of the municipal police.
As a result of the population growth and the growth of the cities in the 19th century, Specialization Ministry started to be inadequate in performing its duties. In order to eliminate this inadequacy, the
Police Department
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...
was established in 1845, followed by the Gendarmerie in 1846.
In 1855, the Office for Public Regularity was abolished and the Istanbul Municipality was founded instead. The
Tipstaff was commissioned for municipal police affairs. With a regulation issued in 1869, municipal police affairs were handed over to the police again.
With the reorganization of municipal services following the Municipal Law enacted in 1930, the police was defined as a special law-enforcing body that conducts and supervises municipal services. With this law, the structure of today's municipal police was defined. However, until 1956, these services were carried out by the general police forces, but eventually municipal police forces were established for different municipalities, starting with Istanbul.
Ranks
The system of the municipal police consists of a total of five ranks.
References
External links
Turkey's Municipal Police
{{Law enforcement in Turkey
Organizations established in 1826
Law enforcement in Turkey