A journalist who calls ALO 150 today reaches CIMER. In 2006 the same number reached BIMER. The name of the system changed; its logic stayed largely the same.
BIMER: Circular No. 2006/3
The document that set up the system is Prime Ministry Circular No. 2006/3. Its subject: the Prime Ministry Communication Centre (BIMER) - Directly to the Prime Ministry.
The reasoning of the circular was this: to establish a well-functioning, swift and effective system enabling citizens to convey easily their complaints, requests, views and suggestions about the administration; and for those to be taken up and assessed at once, concluded and answered to the person concerned promptly.
The Six Articles of the Circular
| No. | Provision |
|---|---|
| 1 | A public relations application office would be set up at a physically accessible point in the ministries; governorships and district governorships would make their own arrangements within the same logic |
| 2 | The short telephone line numbered "150" was allocated for use throughout Turkey; when called from the provinces the line at the governorship's public relations office would come into play |
| 3 | Ministries and governorships would form compatible systems in coordination with the Prime Ministry Department of Public Relations, and district governorships with the governorships |
| 4 | Applications under Right to Information Law No. 4982, Petition Law No. 3071 and Public Officials Ethics Board Law No. 5176, and applications relating to human rights violations, could be made to those offices |
| 5 | Telephone numbers used for similar purposes by other public institutions would also be brought into the system at a suitable time |
| 6 | Implementation would begin on 24/2/2006 |
CIMER: The 2022 Regulation
Today's system is governed by the Presidency Communication Centre Regulation: Presidential Decision 3/6/2022-5690, Official Gazette 4/6/2022-31856. Its basis is Law No. 3071 on the Exercise of the Right of Petition, Law No. 4982 on the Right to Information and the third paragraph of Art. 3 of Presidential Decree No. 14.
The Two Systems Compared
| Issue | BIMER (2006) | CIMER (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of instrument | A circular (2006/3) | A regulation (Presidential Decision 5690) |
| The authority it is attached to | The Prime Ministry | The Presidency |
| The unit running it | The Prime Ministry Department of Public Relations | The Department of Public Relations of the Directorate of Communications |
| Telephone | 150 | ALO 150 |
| The provincial leg | Governorship public relations application offices | The regional directorates of the Directorate of Communications + institutional officers |
| Underlying statutes | 3071, 4982, 5176 | 3071, 4982 + Presidential Decree No. 14 |
| Out-of-scope situations | Not listed in the circular | Listed in seven subparagraphs in Art. 5/2 of the Regulation |
The Most Important Difference: The Level of the Norm
We cover reading the level of norms and their date of entry into force in the Official Gazette guide.
The New Role of the Regional Directorates
Art. 11 of the CIMER Regulation defines a role that did not exist in the BIMER period: the regional directorate officer - the personnel charged with coordinating the CIMER activities of all institutions and organisations in their region.
We cover the field of duty of the regional directorates in the regional directorates guide.
The Practical Result for a Journalist
- The number is the same - ALO 150 still works.
- The number of channels grew - the e-Devlet gateway and the electronic and mobile service provider were added.
- The out-of-scope situations were put in writing - you can now read from the text in which situations your application will not be taken up.
- The periods did not change - the fifteen-working-day rule of Law No. 4982 applies to freedom of information applications.
We cover the detail of the process in the CIMER guide.
Summary
BIMER was set up on 24/2/2006 by Prime Ministry Circular No. 2006/3 and allocated the "150" line. With the move to the presidential system of government the system took the name CIMER and in 2022 was regulated at the level of a regulation. Its operation passed to the Department of Public Relations of the Directorate of Communications; the line number and the basic logic were preserved.