Application requirements for district governor candidacy have changed

A new regulation containing changes to the application requirements for those wishing to become a district governor has been published in the Official Gazette. Within the scope of the regulation prepared by the Ministry of Interior, significant updates have been made to the application processes for district governor candidacy for candidates graduating from various undergraduate programs.

Graduates of international relations, political science, public administration, economics, business administration, finance, econometrics, labor economics and industrial relations, and law faculties will now be able to apply directly for the district governor candidacy exam. These candidates are also required to score at least 70 in the KPSS score type determined by the Ministry of Interior.

A number of people equal to 20 times the number of candidates to be appointed will be invited to the written exam. Thus, the application pool has been limited, and the level of competition in the exams has been increased.

For graduates of engineering faculties, history, sociology, public relations and publicity, and psychology, a requirement has been introduced to have successfully completed a master's degree program with a thesis in the relevant fields in order to participate in the exam. Candidates who have graduated from different departments and whose course contents are at least 80 percent compatible with the fields mentioned above will have the opportunity to apply with an equivalence certificate they will receive from the Council of Higher Education.

With the regulation, the authority to appoint the head of the District Governor Candidacy Evaluation Board has also been left directly to the Ministry. In this way, the Ministry's role in decision-making processes has been strengthened.

The provisions regarding the KPSS base score, graduation requirements, and board structure introduced by the regulation will come into effect as of September 1, 2026. Changes to internship programs to be held abroad and administrative terms have started to be applied as of today.

With the regulations made, it is aimed to make the district governor candidacy system a more objective and competency-based structure.

News Source: 12punto