As is known, the legislation concerning the duties and powers of metropolitan municipalities was revised from 2004 onwards within the framework of local government reforms and was replaced by Metropolitan Municipality Law No. 5216, adopted on 10 July 2004 and updated on 12 November 2012. Under this new arrangement, the field of activity of metropolitan municipalities was expanded, their powers and duties were increased, and significant changes were introduced to their organisational structures and service relationships.

The duties, powers and responsibilities of the metropolitan municipality are as follows:

1. To prepare the metropolitan municipality’s strategic plan, annual targets, investment programmes and, accordingly, its budget, after obtaining the opinions of the district (…)(2) municipalities.

2. Provided that they comply with the environmental master plan, to prepare, commission, approve and implement master development plans at any scale between 1:5,000 and 1:25,000 within the boundaries of the metropolitan municipality (…)(3); to approve, either as submitted or with amendments, and supervise the implementation of the implementation development plans to be prepared by the municipalities within the metropolitan area in accordance with the master development plan, amendments to such plans, land readjustment plans and development improvement plans; and to prepare or commission the implementation development plans and land readjustment plans of district (…)(2) municipalities that fail to prepare such plans within one year of the date on which the master development plan enters into force.

3. To prepare and approve all scales of development plans, land readjustment plans and all types of development applications relating to the project design, construction, maintenance and repair works required for the duties and services assigned to the metropolitan municipality by law, and to exercise the powers granted to municipalities under Squatter Housing Law No. 775, dated 20 July 1966.

4. To license and inspect workplaces located in areas constructed or operated by the metropolitan municipality and premises to be operated in areas under the responsibility of the metropolitan municipality.

5. To exercise the powers set out in Articles 69 and 73 of the Municipal Law.

6. To prepare or commission and implement the metropolitan transport master plan; to plan and coordinate transport and public transport services; to determine the number of all types of service vehicles, public transport vehicles and taxis operating by road, sea, waterway and rail, as well as their ticket fares and tariffs, timetables and routes; to designate stopping places and vehicle parking areas on highways, roads, avenues, streets, squares and similar places, and to operate them, have them operated or lease them; and to carry out all activities required for traffic regulation that are assigned to municipalities by law.

7. To construct, commission the construction of, maintain and repair the roads, squares, boulevards, avenues and main roads connecting the neighbourhoods within the metropolitan municipality’s area of jurisdiction to district centres, and to carry out cleaning and snow clearance works on these roads; to impose obligations concerning buildings fronting these places in accordance with urban design projects; to determine the locations where notices and advertisements may be displayed, as well as their form and dimensions; and to carry out the naming and numbering of squares, boulevards, avenues, roads and streets and the numbering of the buildings located on them.

8. To establish geographical and urban information systems.

9. To ensure the protection of the environment, agricultural land and water basins in accordance with the principle of sustainable development; to carry out afforestation; to concentrate non-sanitary establishments, entertainment venues and other establishments affecting public health and the environment in designated areas of the city; to designate construction-material sites, scrap-storage areas and sales outlets, excavation soil, rubble, sand and gravel storage areas, and wood and coal sales and storage areas, and to take measures to prevent environmental pollution during their transportation; to prepare or commission the metropolitan solid waste management plan; except for the collection of solid waste at source and its transportation to transfer stations, to provide services relating to the recovery, storage and disposal of solid waste and excavation waste, and for this purpose to establish, commission the establishment of, operate or have facilities operated; to provide services relating to industrial and medical waste and, for this purpose, to establish, commission the establishment of, operate or have the necessary facilities operated; and to collect, have collected and treat waste from marine vessels and make the necessary arrangements in this regard.

10. To license and inspect first-class non-sanitary establishments, including those relating to food, and to establish and operate laboratories for the analysis of food and drink products.

11. To provide municipal police services in areas under the authority of or operated by the metropolitan municipality.

12. To construct, commission the construction of, operate, have operated or license passenger and freight terminals and indoor and outdoor car parks.

13. To construct, commission the construction of, operate or have operated social amenities, regional parks, zoos, animal shelters, libraries, museums, sports, recreation, entertainment and similar facilities serving the metropolitan area as a whole; where necessary, to provide financial assistance, materials and the necessary support to amateur sports clubs, organise sporting competitions between amateur teams, and, by decision of the municipal council, grant awards to athletes, technical directors, coaches and students who achieve outstanding success or rankings in domestic and international competitions.

14. Where necessary, to construct buildings and facilities for places of worship and for health, education and cultural services; to carry out all types of maintenance and repair of buildings and facilities belonging to public institutions and organisations and used for these services, and to provide the necessary material support.

15. To ensure the preservation of cultural and natural assets, the historical fabric, and places and functions of importance to the history of the city; to carry out their maintenance and repair for this purpose; and to reconstruct, in accordance with their original form, those that cannot be preserved.

16. To provide public transport services within the metropolitan area and, for this purpose, to establish, commission the establishment of, operate or have the necessary facilities operated, and to license public transport vehicles, including taxis and service vehicles, operating on land and at sea within the boundaries of the metropolitan municipality.

17. To provide water supply and sewerage services; to construct, commission the construction of and operate the necessary dams and other facilities for this purpose; to carry out the rehabilitation of streams; and to market spring water or water produced following treatment.

18. To designate cemetery sites, establish, operate or have cemeteries operated, and provide burial services.

19. To construct, commission the construction of, operate or have operated all types of wholesale markets and slaughterhouses, and to license and inspect private wholesale markets and slaughterhouses to be established in locations designated in the development plan.

20. In accordance with plans prepared at provincial level, to carry out planning and other preparations relating to natural disasters at metropolitan level; where necessary, to provide vehicles, equipment and materials to other disaster areas; to provide fire brigade and emergency response services; to designate sites for the production and storage of explosive and flammable substances; to inspect residential buildings, workplaces, entertainment venues, factories, industrial establishments and public institutions with regard to measures to be taken against fire and other disasters; and to issue the permits and licences required by the relevant legislation in this regard.

21. To provide and develop all types of social and cultural services for adults, older people, persons with disabilities, women, young people and children through health centres, hospitals and mobile healthcare units; to establish social facilities for this purpose; to organise, operate or have operated vocational and skills training courses; and, in providing these services, to cooperate with universities, schools of higher education, vocational high schools, public institutions and civil society organisations.

22. To establish, commission the establishment of, operate or have central heating systems operated.

23. To provide all forms of support, upon the request of district municipalities, for the evacuation and demolition of buildings that are at risk of disaster or pose a danger to life and property.