ahmet.corekcioglu@zeytinburnu.bel.tr

.Zeytinburnu Municipality takes pioneering role in area of social municipalism in Turkey by starting AKDEM (Family Women Supporting and Disabled People Centre) in 2007 through empowerment of disadvantageous groups, such as women, children, disabled people, youth, refuges and migrants.First time, Zeytinburnu Municipality started aiming directly disadvantageous individual in terms of social municipalism in Turkey. The demand for services to empower disadvantageous groups was so high and this center evolved its services to other disadvantageous groups, such as, children, elder, young and disabled people, drug addicts, refugees and migrants. Today AKDEM offer more than 70 services and more than 100.000 people benefits them. Its revolutionary perspective to social municipalism also draws attention from different institutions, especially municipalities. Around 100 institutions have visited AKDEM until today and seven institutions set its good practices as an example to them. AKDEM also subject to many academic works and universities are eager to collaborate with AKDEM to turn the outcome of AKDEM’s services to academic research. Because of successful contribution of AKDEM to local welfare, many public institutions and non-governmental organizations offers partnership to act together in their professional working area. AKDEM pioneered social equality and justice by revolutionize the concept of social aid and local welfare policies in local governments in Turkey. Comprehensive collaboration of AKDEM with all stakeholders brings out high quality services which changes disadvantageous people’s life and many municipalities and other institutions replicates his works. Social scientists’ interest to AKDEM and replication of its services shows how much it provides services which transform city regarding social equality.