Çerkezköy
Encyclopedia
Çerkezköy is a town and district of Tekirdağ Province
in the Marmara Region
of Turkey
.
just to the west of the outlying Istanbul
districts of Çatalca
and Silivri
. Çerkezköy is an industrial area. It is 56 km (34.8 mi) from Tekirdağ
and 110 km (68.4 mi) from Istanbul but in many ways has closer links to the bigger city. The district covers an area of 326 km² (125.9 sq mi). The urban population is 69,875 (as of 2009.)http://tuikapp.tuik.gov.tr/adnksdagitapp/adnks.zul The mayor is Ali Ertem (AKP
).
for 'tomb' and the village took its name from the tomb of the eldest son of sultan
Bayezid I
, Suleiman Çelebi, who was murdered here in 1410 when fleeing from his brothers during the Ottoman Interregnum
. The tomb was destroyed by Bulgaria
n troops when they occupied the town for nine months during the war for Bulgarian Independence in 1912
.
Çerkezköy was founded as a settlement for refugees from the Caucasus
following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 ('Çerkez' being the Turkish pronunciation of 'Circassian'). Soon after, following the independence of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire
further waves of refugees from Bulgaria came to replace the Caucasians and Çerkezköy was designated as a municipality (belediye in Turkish) in 1911. It was became township in Saray
district in 1922 and the district in 1938.
The land here is flat, watered by the River Çorlu and good soil for farming, so until the 1970s Çerkezköy was a pleasant small town in a rural setting. But it is also on the main highway from Istanbul to Europe
and in 1971 was designated an area for industrial development. Grants were made available by the Turkish state
for investors and a large industrial area was constructed on 4 km² (1.5 sq mi) of land near the town.
, and Sabancı Holding
's woollen textile factory Yünsa.
Now only 15% of the people work in agriculture and Çerkezköy has a large industrial working class population, living in housing projects sprawled around the fringes of the town. The Caucasusian identity that gave the town its name no longer exists, it has been swamped by an influx of people from all over Turkey. There are jobs here and the town is easily reached by bus from Istanbul.
The town centre is a typical Turkish collection of rows of grey low-rise blocks containing public buildings, small supermarkets, banks, and kebab restaurants, with a square in the middle containing a statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
and nearby a large central mosque.
The military base in Çerkezköy is Turkey's biggest centre for basic training in military service. The town is well-equipped with schools, hospitals and other infrastructure.
is only 12.3 km (7.6 mi) away from the town.
The Turkish State Railways
operates trains through the Çerkezköy railway station. There is a daily regional train operating to and from İstanbul as well as trains to Edirne
and Uzunköprü
.
The Çorlu Airport is located 17 km (10.6 mi) south of the town.
Tekirdag Province
The Tekirdağ Province is in Trakya , the northwestern part of Turkey. The capital city is Tekirdağ. It is famous for its meatball called "Tekirdağ köfte" and the Turkish alcoholic drink called Tekirdağ rakısı.-Districts:...
in the Marmara Region
Marmara Region
The Marmara Region , with a surface area of 67.000 km², is the smallest but most densely populated of the seven geographical regions of Turkey...
of 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...
.
Facts
The district is located in inland ThraceThrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
just to the west of the outlying Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
districts of Çatalca
Çatalca
Çatalca is a city and a rural district in Istanbul, Turkey. It is in Thrace, on the ridge between the Marmara and the Black Sea. Most people living in Çatalca are either farmers or those visiting vacation homes. Many families from Istanbul come to Çatalca during weekends to hike in the forests or...
and Silivri
Silivri
Silivri is a city and a district in Istanbul Province along the Sea of Marmara in Turkey, outside of metropolitan Istanbul, containing many holiday and weekend homes for residents of the city. The largest city in the district is also named Silivri...
. Çerkezköy is an industrial area. It is 56 km (34.8 mi) from Tekirdağ
Tekirdag
Tekirdağ , the ancient Bisanthi , is a city in Eastern Thrace, in the European part of Turkey. Tekirdağ is the capital of Tekirdağ Province, felt by the local people to be a quieter and more pleasant town than the industrial centre of Çorlu, which it administers. The city population as of 2009 was...
and 110 km (68.4 mi) from Istanbul but in many ways has closer links to the bigger city. The district covers an area of 326 km² (125.9 sq mi). The urban population is 69,875 (as of 2009.)http://tuikapp.tuik.gov.tr/adnksdagitapp/adnks.zul The mayor is Ali Ertem (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...
).
History
Until the 1800s this was a village called 'Türbedere'. 'Türbe' is the TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
for 'tomb' and the village took its name from the tomb of the eldest son of sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
, Suleiman Çelebi, who was murdered here in 1410 when fleeing from his brothers during the Ottoman Interregnum
Ottoman Interregnum
The Ottoman Interregnum began in 20 July 1402, when chaos reigned in the Ottoman Empire following the defeat of Sultan Bayezid I by the Turco-Mongol warlord Timur...
. The tomb was destroyed by Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n troops when they occupied the town for nine months during the war for Bulgarian Independence in 1912
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
.
Çerkezköy was founded as a settlement for refugees from the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 ('Çerkez' being the Turkish pronunciation of 'Circassian'). Soon after, following the independence of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
further waves of refugees from Bulgaria came to replace the Caucasians and Çerkezköy was designated as a municipality (belediye in Turkish) in 1911. It was became township in Saray
Saray
Saray is a Turkic word of Persian origin which means 'palace'. Several locations extending from far Asia to the Balkans have been named under variants of this word...
district in 1922 and the district in 1938.
The land here is flat, watered by the River Çorlu and good soil for farming, so until the 1970s Çerkezköy was a pleasant small town in a rural setting. But it is also on the main highway from Istanbul to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in 1971 was designated an area for industrial development. Grants were made available by the Turkish state
Politics of Turkey
Politics of Turkey takes place in a framework of a strictly secular parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Turkey is the head of government, and of a multi-party system...
for investors and a large industrial area was constructed on 4 km² (1.5 sq mi) of land near the town.
Çerkezköy today
Today industrial development has spread beyond the originally designated industrial area and all kinds of goods are produced in the hundreds and hundreds of factories in Çerkezköy, including textiles, plastic and rubber goods, paints and chemicals. Prominent manufacturers include the large white goods manufacturers ArçelikArçelik
Arçelik A.Ş. is a household appliances manufacturer in Turkey. The Company engages in the production and marketing of durable goods, components, consumer electronics and after-sale services...
, and Sabancı Holding
Sabanci Holding
Hacı Ömer Sabancı Holding A.Ş., abbreviated as Sabancı Holding, is the largest industrial and financial conglomerate in Turkey by profit. The holding is owned at about 75% by the Sabancı family, one of Turkey's wealthiest. 3% is owned by the Sabancı University and the Sabancı Foundation. The...
's woollen textile factory Yünsa.
Now only 15% of the people work in agriculture and Çerkezköy has a large industrial working class population, living in housing projects sprawled around the fringes of the town. The Caucasusian identity that gave the town its name no longer exists, it has been swamped by an influx of people from all over Turkey. There are jobs here and the town is easily reached by bus from Istanbul.
The town centre is a typical Turkish collection of rows of grey low-rise blocks containing public buildings, small supermarkets, banks, and kebab restaurants, with a square in the middle containing a statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
and nearby a large central mosque.
The military base in Çerkezköy is Turkey's biggest centre for basic training in military service. The town is well-equipped with schools, hospitals and other infrastructure.
Transportation
The D567 (İstanbul-Tekirdağ Road) passes along the eastern limits of the town while the İstanbul-Çerkezköy road passes through the town center. The European HighwayOtoyol 3
Otoyol 3 , abbreviated as , aka Avrupa Otoyolu , is a toll motorway in Marmara Region's Eastern Thrace section in Turkey, connecting the cities Edirne and Istanbul...
is only 12.3 km (7.6 mi) away from the town.
The Turkish State Railways
Turkish State Railways
The State Railways of the Turkish Republic or TCDD is the government owned, national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara...
operates trains through the Çerkezköy railway station. There is a daily regional train operating to and from İstanbul as well as trains to Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
and Uzunköprü
Uzunköprü
Uzunköprü is a small town and a district of Edirne Province in northwestern Turkey.It is on the railway line from Istanbul towards Sofia, Belgrade and western Europe, and a frontier post on the Greek border.- Long Bridge :...
.
The Çorlu Airport is located 17 km (10.6 mi) south of the town.