We can define the metropolitan municipality as “a municipality which has more than one district or Lower-Tier municipality within its boundaries.”

Reference law for the metropolitan municipalities is the Metropolitan Municipalities Act of 1984 (No. 3030). However, for the cases which are not regulated within this law, regulations of the Municipality Act (No.1580) are applied.

CITY OF ISTANBUL AND METROPOLITAN AREA

Sort of Area	Anatolia (km2)	Europe (km2)	Total (km2)
Non Neighboring Areas	1008,28	2503,82	3512,1
MMI Authority Area	855,95	974,97	1830,92
Total Area	1864,23	3478,79	5343,02

Total MMI non-neighboring area  is 3512,1 km²

When the 974,97km² of total Metropolitan Municipality Area is taking place in European side the rest 855,95 km² is taking place in Anatolian side.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF MMI

Responsibilities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Istanbul Include:
>Selection of solid waste disposal sites
>Construction and maintenance of roads, bridges etc.
>Undertaking of city infrastructure projects
>Construction and maintenance of parks
>Building and operation of passenger and freight terminals
>Providing burial facilities
>Providing municipal police and fire services
>Co-ordinate and control the activities of the District Municipalities>Levying municipal taxes
>Installing and operating utilities
>Providing and operating a public transport system
>Establish municipal hospitals and maternity clinics
>Constructing & operating grain markets, grain storage facilities & bakeries
>Providing municipal housing for the poor
>providing and managing a public pension fund
>Establish libraries. Theatres and Museums