The village, the smallest recognised political entity, chooses its own headman and council of elders. The relationship between the villager who is acting as headman, and the urban-bred district officer who is his immediate superior, is the critical point in the rural administrative system - it reflects the break between the educated and largely Europeanised townspeople and the still largely illiterate and traditional peasantry.
Towns, among which are classed many small entirely village-like district centres, have an elected mayor and council, under the supervision of the vali or kaymakam as the case may be. Town wards have headmen, but these are far less important than the village headman, most 'of the work being done by the mayor.
Government is highly centralised. Officials are appointed or at least approved by Ankara, and most major matters, for example, disputes between a vali and his elected council, must be referred back to the capital. Initiative, in fact, still comes mainly from the top downwards. What is not expressly permitted is generally assumed to be forbidden. Even in the judicial system disputes of importance before civil courts have to be referred for decision on documentary evidence to Ankara.
Between attempting to carry out orders which pour from above, and dealing with matters which well up from below, senior officials tend to be extremely busy. Most doors, even the vali's, are permanently open, and no one works on a strict timetable or a system of appointments. Relatively little business is done by letter. The office of a vali, kaymakam or senior official is liable to be full of people from his immediate juniors in the hierarchy to patient embarrassed villagers, all trying to catch the great man's attention to extract a decision,