1,610 Submissions in July, Including Requests to Let Citizens Cast As Many Votes As Their Province Has Lawmakers, Make Istanbul the Winter

The committee's monthly report shows 207 petitions came from women, with most complaints concerning labor, social security, and justice. Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir topped the list of provinces with the most submissions. One petitioner asked to ban wedding vows at civil ceremonies and establish a state agency focused on marriage-age individuals.

Other notable requests included adding drone and FPV training to paid military service, outlawing private detective agencies, opening schoolyards to neighborhood children during summer break, and prohibiting pointed knives to prevent crime. A citizen also proposed renaming the Aegean region to Efe, banning bride price in certain areas, closing malls on Sundays, implementing card-based attendance in state institutions, paying mothers minimum wage plus per-child allowances, reducing civil servants' workweek to four days, freezing rents for two years during natural disasters, and basing public hiring on academic GPA. Another petition urged limiting state agencies' social media use in favor of official websites and local platforms.

The committee resolved several cases, including fixing construction defects in a TOKI housing unit in Şanlıurfa, addressing noise complaints in Eskişehir, investigating an unlicensed textile business in Istanbul, and acting on illegal water wells in Konya. Committee chair Sunay Karamık said petitions are vital for democratic participation, adding, "The demands voiced by our citizens across a wide spectrum have illuminated our solution processes and reinforced our resolve to strengthen democratic participation."