Sanliurfa Province
Encyclopedia
Şanlıurfa Province or simply Urfa Province is a province in Southeast Anatolia
, Turkey
. The city of Şanlıurfa
is the capital of the province which bears its name. The population is 1,663,371 (2010 est).
Population in 1990 was 1,001,455; 551,124 in the district centers, 450,331 in rural villages. By 2000, the population of Şanlıurfa province had grown to 1,436,956 and that of Şanlıurfa city, 829,000.
(capital district in bold):
Şanlıurfa includes several major components of the Southeastern Anatolia Project
(in Turkish Güneydogu Anadolu Projesi (GAP)) designed to:
This very large-scale, state-sponsored development project involved the damming, redirecting, hydroelectric tapping and other utilization of rivers in this broad, semi-arid region. (The rivers then flow into Syria and Iraq). The GAP project includes 22 dams, hundreds of miles of irrigation works.
Even before GAP, Şanlıurfa Province had the largest share of cultivated and cultivable land in the GAP region, due to its flatness and highly fertile, agricultural land. The Şanlıurfa and Harran
Plains extend over an area of about 1,500 km² (579 sq. miles). Irrigating these plains is one of the most important components of GAP.
According to the 1990 census, Şanlıurfa Province contained 148,521 households, and the average household size was 6.74 persons. 71 % of household heads described their occupation as farming. In 1992, Şanlıurfa had the highest concentration of land ownership in Turkey, with a landless rate of 48%. While 5% of the families in the province owned 65% of the land, the vast majority (70%) owned only 10%.
Şanlıurfa’s average annual growth rate between 1985 and 1990 was 4.6%, considerably higher than both the national and regional averages.
clans (aşiret). In particular, the districts along the Euphrates
river have long been a power base for the traditional center-right DYP, formerly under Süleyman Demirel
and Mrs. Tansu Çiller
, and now under ex-chief of police Mr. Mehmet Ağar
.
Turkey's ruling AKP
did come first in 2004 local elections with a comfortable 43.04 %, but the DYP, currently out of parliament, seems to be recovering under the new leadership of Mr. Ağar, who is known for his intimacy with the local feudal structures.
Much effort is deployed by DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish-identity consciousness arguments, to attract clan votes, but this is complicated by polemics of the definitions of a Kurdish and a distinct Zaza identity. Several clans were at the forefront of the struggle against PKK terrorism in the 1980s and the 1990s. Still, DEHAP registered some success in 2004 local elections, coming second in the province with 16.95 %, rising from 12,06 % in 1999, with a faithful electorate in the two districts bordering Diyarbakır Province
. DEHAP traditionally avoids the districts bordering Syria
and populated by ethnic Arabs, where they did not even name candidates for the 2004 elections.
MHP
, campaigning on Turkish
-identity consciousness arguments, after having scored an exceptional 7,18 % in 1999, has in 2004 ebbed back to a more usual 2,97 %.
The center-left CHP
usually obtains a modest share, slightly below 10%.
The current mayor of Sanliurfa is Dr. Ahmet Eşref FAKIBABA, a former general surgeon who has helped renovate the city and bring it up to a cleaner and structured level. He is known for strong position against clan governance. He has helped bring transparency, dedication, and honesty back to the entire city.
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The city of Şanlıurfa
Sanliurfa
Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language , in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323 inhabitants Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language (Syriac ܐܘܪܗܝ Urhoy,Armenian Ուռհա Owr'ha, Arabic الرها ar-Ruhā), in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323...
is the capital of the province which bears its name. The population is 1,663,371 (2010 est).
Population in 1990 was 1,001,455; 551,124 in the district centers, 450,331 in rural villages. By 2000, the population of Şanlıurfa province had grown to 1,436,956 and that of Şanlıurfa city, 829,000.
Districts
Şanlıurfa province is divided into 11 districtsDistricts of Turkey
The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 957 districts . In the early Turkish Republic and in the Ottoman Empire, the corresponding unit was the kaza....
(capital district in bold):
- AkçakaleAkçakaleAkçakale is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province in southeastern Turkey. It is a border checkpoint on the road from Şanlıurfa to Tall Al Abyad in Syria.Many families in the region have relatives across the border in Syria.- References :...
- BirecikBirecikBirecik , also formerly known as Bir and during the Crusades as Bile, is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on the River Euphrates....
- BozovaBozovaBozova is a district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, 38 km from the city of Şanlıurfa.Bozova is a plain of rich farmland watered from the lake behind the Atatürk Dam....
- CeylanpınarCeylanpinarCeylanpınar is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province in southeastern Turkey. On the border with Syria, it is reached by a long straight road across the plain south from Viranşehir...
- HalfetiHalfetiHalfeti is a small farming district on the east bank of the river Euphrates in Şanlıurfa Province in Turkey, 120 km from the city of Şanlıurfa. Population 33,467 .Most of the villages were submerged in the 1990s under the waters behind the dam on the Euphrates at Birecik...
- HarranHarranHarran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles southeast of Şanlıurfa...
- HilvanHilvanHilvan is a district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, 55 km from the city of Şanlıurfa. It has an area of 1.278 km². And a population of 38.411....
- ŞanlıurfaSanliurfaŞanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language , in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323 inhabitants Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language (Syriac ܐܘܪܗܝ Urhoy,Armenian Ուռհա Owr'ha, Arabic الرها ar-Ruhā), in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323...
- SiverekSiverekSiverek is a town and district in the south-east of Turkey, in Şanlıurfa Province. Population 107,634 ; 247,000 .Siverek is in Şanlıurfa province but closer geographically to the large city of Diyarbakır...
- SuruçSuruçSuruç is a rural district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on a plain near the Syrian border 46 km south-west of the city of Şanlıurfa.The modern Turkish name “Suruç” is derived from Serugh , the pre-Islamic name for the area. The name literally means “woven” or “latticed,” and either refers...
- ViranşehirViransehirViranşehir is a market town serving a cotton-growing area of Şanlıurfa Province, in southeastern Turkey, 93 km east of Şanlıurfa city and 53 km north-west of the Syrian border at Ceylanpınar...
Geography
Area 18,584 km² (7,173 sq. miles), the largest province of Southeast Anatolia with:- AdıyamanAdiyamanAdıyaman is city in southeastern Turkey, capital of the Adıyaman Province. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Turkey...
to the north; - SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
to the south; - MardinMardinMardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arabic-like architecture, and for its strategic location on a rocky mountain overlooking the plains of northern Syria.-History:...
and DiyarbakırDiyarbakırDiyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
to the east; - GaziantepGaziantepGaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
to the west;
Şanlıurfa includes several major components of the Southeastern Anatolia Project
Southeastern Anatolia Project
The Southeastern Anatolia Project is a multi-sector integrated regional development project based on the concept of sustainable development for the 9 million people living in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey...
(in Turkish Güneydogu Anadolu Projesi (GAP)) designed to:
- exploit the hydropowerHydropowerHydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
potential of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; - dramatically expand irrigationIrrigationIrrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
for agriculture; and - develop the economy of the region.
This very large-scale, state-sponsored development project involved the damming, redirecting, hydroelectric tapping and other utilization of rivers in this broad, semi-arid region. (The rivers then flow into Syria and Iraq). The GAP project includes 22 dams, hundreds of miles of irrigation works.
Even before GAP, Şanlıurfa Province had the largest share of cultivated and cultivable land in the GAP region, due to its flatness and highly fertile, agricultural land. The Şanlıurfa and Harran
Harran
Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles southeast of Şanlıurfa...
Plains extend over an area of about 1,500 km² (579 sq. miles). Irrigating these plains is one of the most important components of GAP.
According to the 1990 census, Şanlıurfa Province contained 148,521 households, and the average household size was 6.74 persons. 71 % of household heads described their occupation as farming. In 1992, Şanlıurfa had the highest concentration of land ownership in Turkey, with a landless rate of 48%. While 5% of the families in the province owned 65% of the land, the vast majority (70%) owned only 10%.
Şanlıurfa’s average annual growth rate between 1985 and 1990 was 4.6%, considerably higher than both the national and regional averages.
Politics
The politics of Şanlıurfa Province are still widely shaped by the electoral adherence of a number of ZazaZaza
Zaza may refer to:* The Zaza people, an ethnic group in eastern Anatolia * The Zazaki language, spoken by the Zaza, also called Dimili, Dımılki, Dimli, Kirmancki-People:* Karim Zaza, a Moroccan goalkeeper* Neil Zaza, a guitar player...
clans (aşiret). In particular, the districts along the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
river have long been a power base for the traditional center-right DYP, formerly under Süleyman Demirel
Süleyman Demirel
Sami Süleyman Gündoğdu Demirel, better known as Süleyman Demirel , is a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister seven times and was the ninth President of Turkey.-Life:Demirel was born in İslamköy, a town in Isparta Province...
and Mrs. Tansu Çiller
Tansu Çiller
Tansu Penbe Çiller is a Turkish economist and politician. She was Turkey's first and only female Prime Minister.- Early career :She is the daughter of a Turkish governor of Bilecik province during the 1950s. She graduated from the School of Economics at Robert College after finishing the American...
, and now under ex-chief of police Mr. Mehmet Ağar
Mehmet Agar
Mehmet Kemal Ağar is a Turkish former police chief, politician, government minister and leader of the Democratic Party.-Early years:...
.
Turkey's ruling AKP
Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
did come first in 2004 local elections with a comfortable 43.04 %, but the DYP, currently out of parliament, seems to be recovering under the new leadership of Mr. Ağar, who is known for his intimacy with the local feudal structures.
Much effort is deployed by DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish-identity consciousness arguments, to attract clan votes, but this is complicated by polemics of the definitions of a Kurdish and a distinct Zaza identity. Several clans were at the forefront of the struggle against PKK terrorism in the 1980s and the 1990s. Still, DEHAP registered some success in 2004 local elections, coming second in the province with 16.95 %, rising from 12,06 % in 1999, with a faithful electorate in the two districts bordering Diyarbakır Province
Diyarbakir Province
Diyarbakır Province is a province in eastern Turkey. The province covers an area of 15,355 km² and the population is 1,528,958. The provincial capital is Diyarbakir...
. DEHAP traditionally avoids the districts bordering Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and populated by ethnic Arabs, where they did not even name candidates for the 2004 elections.
MHP
MHP
MHP may stand for:*Minsk-1 Airport*Montana Highway Patrol*Monty Hall problem*A mental health professional*Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi - a Turkish nationalist political party*Multimedia Home Platform...
, campaigning on Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
-identity consciousness arguments, after having scored an exceptional 7,18 % in 1999, has in 2004 ebbed back to a more usual 2,97 %.
The center-left CHP
CHP
-Healthcare:* Oporto Hospital Centre* Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh* Community Health Partnerships* Certified Health Physicist-Politics:* Christian Heritage Party * Christian Historical Party...
usually obtains a modest share, slightly below 10%.
The current mayor of Sanliurfa is Dr. Ahmet Eşref FAKIBABA, a former general surgeon who has helped renovate the city and bring it up to a cleaner and structured level. He is known for strong position against clan governance. He has helped bring transparency, dedication, and honesty back to the entire city.