The Legal Regime of Public Properties in Turkey

Türkiye’de Kamu Mallarının Hukukî Rejimi

Mustafa AVCI

Public properties constitute one of the main parts of the administrative law. For, the administration needs certain movable and immovable properties to carry out its activities, including public services. These properties are naturally and necessarily subject to a legal regime that is different from the regime which the properties of real and corporate entities and the private properties of the administration are subject to. Through the use of public properties, the administration delivers public services and hence works for the public benefit. By their nature, public services are offered uninterruptedly with a view to meeting public needs. Therefore, the legal regime of properties allocated for public services, which should be delivered uninterruptedly, should be consistent with the nature of these properties.

Public Properties, Administrative Law, Private Properties of the Administration, Public Service, Public Authority.

Kamu malları, idare hukukunun temel konularından birisini teşkil eder. Çünkü idare kamu hizmeti gibi çeşitli faaliyetlerini gerçekleştirebilmek için birtakım taşınır ve taşınmaz mallara ihtiyaç duyar. Bu malların da özel hukuk gerçek ve tüzel kişilerin sahip olduğu mallar ile idarenin özel mallarının tâbi olduğu hukukî rejimden farklı bir hukukî rejime tâbi olması hem zorunlu hem de işin niteliğine uygundur. Çünkü idare, kamu malları vasıtasıyla kamu hizmeti gibi kamu yararına yönelik faaliyetleri gerçekleştirmektedir. Kamu hizmetleri de özelliği gereği kesintisiz ve sürekli olarak toplumsal gereksinimleri karşılamak üzere kamu yararı amacıyla sunulan faaliyetlerdir. Dolayısıyla kesintisiz ve sürekli olarak sunulması zorunluluğu olan kamu hizmeti niteliğindeki faaliyetlere özgülenen malların hukukî rejiminin de, bu malların özelliğine uygun nitelikte olması gerekmektedir.

Kamu Malları, İdare Hukuku, İdarenin Özel Malları, Kamu Hizmeti, Kamu Kurumu.

1. INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY

The administration needs movable and immovable properties, tools and devices when carrying out its duties. These are generally called public properties although other concepts are sometimes used¹.

There is no consistency related to the concepts used to refer to public properties. The constitution and laws use different expressions to signify public properties and provide different regulations. Among these expressions are state property, property fully-owned by the state, public estate, public sphere and treasure property. On the other hand, in one of its decisions, the Court of Conflicts states that administrative properties established in accordance with Laws no. 221 and 2942 are deemed public property provided that they are subject to public law and are under the control and disposition of the public administration².

Legal regulations do not provide a definition of public property. According to the Constitutional Court, “the unowned properties that are open for public use due to their nature, common properties that are opened for full or partial public use by public entities, and properties that constitute subjects and means of activities in the form of public services may be defined as public properties”³.