kaymakams

Kaymakam is an administrative official at the district level in the Ottoman Empire and the modern Republic of Turkey. The term denotes the holder of the district government office (kaymakamlık), who acts as the representative of the central government in the district (ilçe).

In the Ottoman system, a kaymakam governed a district within a vilayet or sanjak, often responsible for tax collection, maintenance of order, and the implementation of imperial directives. The office operated alongside other provincial authorities and reported to higher authorities such as the mutasarrıf or the provincial governor, depending on the administrative structure of the time.

In the Republic of Turkey, the kaymakam is a senior civil servant appointed by the Ministry of the Interior to administer the district. The district governor represents the central government at district level, coordinating state agencies and implementing national and provincial policies. Responsibilities typically include maintaining public order, overseeing the police and other security forces, supervising civil registries, disaster response, and the enforcement of laws and government decisions. The kaymakam also coordinates with elected mayors and municipal councils and supervises the delivery of public services in areas such as education, health, agriculture, and social welfare. The office operates within the framework of the province, with the kaymakam reporting to the provincial governor (vali) and, through the governor, to central authorities.

The kaymakamate oversees a staff of subordinates and deputies who administer district-level agencies. Overall, the kaymakam acts as the central government's chief representative in the district, linking national policy with local administration and community administration.