Preference Factors and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of The International Sister City Agreement Of Turkey

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The phenomenon ofsister city, which emerged after World War II to support peace relations between countries and to develop cultural relations, is an important tool to provide various interactions between local governments and societies on a national and international scale. In Turkey, which first met this phenomenon in the late 1950s, municipalities have reached 1651 sister city relations that now show distribution in many different regions of the world. A variety of factors can be effective in deciding on a sister city relationship and process of putting the agreement into force. In addition, considering the geographical distribution characteristics of sister city agreements it is clearly observed that geographical and political factors are quite determining in these processes. This study aimed to determine the spatial context of the sister city relations and their distribution by analyzing the sister city relations of the municipalities in Turkey on an international scale. Therefore, we tried to reveal the international sister city relationship networks of the municipalities of Turkey and to explain the factors affecting these processes. For this purpose, a survey consisting of 45 questions was applied to 160 municipalities in Turkey that have sister city relations on an international scale, and interviews were applied to some. The obtained survey data were transferred to SPSS software, and graphics and maps were produced to help explain the subject. The study revealed that Turkey had sister city relations in every continent and various regions of the world through municipalities. The sister city agreements of Turkey are mostly concentrated around Balkan countries and neighboring countries. In the international sister city relations of our country, geographical proximity, cultural similarity and political factors were clearly observed in most of the sister city agreements signed with the Balkan and Asian countries and neighboring countries in the European continent. Moreover, the absence of a sister city relation with Armenia, one of the neighbors of Turkey, clearly shows the influence of political factors.

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Sister Cities , Municipalities , International Collaborations , Countries Geography , Regional Geography

eastern geographical review

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eastern geographical review