‘67 districts most likely to become provinces’

ANTALYA

A total of 67 districts, each inhabited by over 100,000 residents and positioned at a minimum distance of 30 kilometers from the city center, could be set to become provinces, according to the Turkish Chamber of Survey and Cadastre Engineers (HKMO).

Okan Hançer, HKMO head in the southern province of Antalya, explained that five districts in Hatay, four districts each in Şanlıurfa, İzmir and Manisa, and three districts each in Aydın, Antalya, Istanbul, Kocaeli, Muğla and Tekirdağ have high potential to become provinces in the near future.

In the special map prepared with geographical information systems (GIS) technology, Siverek and Viranşehir districts in Şanlıurfa, Alanya and Manavgat districts in Antalya, Torbalı in İzmir, Silivri in Istanbul and Çorlu in Tekirdağ stand out with the highest potential to be turned into provinces.

In particular, Manavgat and Alanya are most likely to become separate provinces from Antalya soon due to their population density of over 200,000 residents, Hançer remarked.

“Manavgat and Alanya are districts with high population averages and contribute significantly to the country's economy in terms of tourism income. Especially when we look at Alanya, it has better advantages in terms of distance to the city center, transportation services and municipal services such as infrastructure. For example, Alanya's Alacami neighborhood is about 180 kilometers and four hours away from the center of Antalya. To go there from the center of Antalya, you would spend one whole day on the road. The provincialization of these districts can make the administrative processes easier. It can prevent waste of time and provide faster solutions to some problems on the spot.”

When the borders of these districts are evaluated by decision makers by taking population density and distance at the center of the main criteria, it can provide efficiency in terms of the country's economy and access to services by those living there, Hançer added.

Stating that there may be changes in the borders of the districts if they were to be chosen to become a province, Hançer said, “As it is known, neighborhoods, districts and provinces determined by law have their own borders. Changes in borders may come to the agenda.”

Some other districts that stand out on the map include tourism hotspots Fethiye and Bodrum in Muğla, along with Büyükçekmece and Tuzla in Istanbul.