İBB | Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi – İBB) is the main citywide local government authority for Istanbul Province, responsible for urban services, infrastructure, economic development, and municipal governance across 39 districts. It was formally established as a metropolitan municipality on 23 March 1984 following the enactment of metropolitan municipality legislation, with earlier municipal structures dating back to earlier decades of the Republic.

In addition to public services such as transportation, waste management, and social programs, İBB actively fosters technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship through specialized initiatives like Tech Istanbul—a municipality-led ecosystem program that supports startups from idea stage to growth with pre-incubation programs, growth/PoC opportunities, coworking & event spaces, mentoring, and networking across multiple locations in the city. The municipality also hosts hackathons and tech-oriented events such as the Sustainable Cities Hackathon in partnership with industry players, creating platforms for young innovators to solve urban challenges.