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Tuzla | |
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![]() Map showing Tuzla District in Istanbul Province | |
Coordinates:40°48′58″N29°18′02″E / 40.81611°N 29.30056°E /40.81611; 29.30056 | |
Country | Turkey |
Province | Istanbul |
Government | |
• Mayor | Eren Ali Bingöl (CHP) |
Area | 138 km2 (53 sq mi) |
Population (2022)[1] | 288,878 |
• Density | 2,100/km2 (5,400/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
Area code | 0216 |
Website | www |
Tuzla is a municipality anddistrict ofIstanbul Province,Turkey.[2] It has a population of 288,878 (2022) and a land area of 138 km2 .[1] It is on theAsian side of the city next to the municipality ofPendik. Tuzla is on a headland on the coast ofMarmara Sea, at the eastern limit of the city. The mayor is Eren Ali Bingöl (CHP).
TheGreek name for the headland wasAkritas (Ακρίτας). During the reign of theOttoman Empire, a majority of inhabitants of Tuzla wereGreek farmers and fishermen. The local Greek population of Tuzla was exchanged with theTurkish population ofSalonica,Kavala andDrama during thepopulation exchange between Greece and Turkey following theTreaty of Lausanne and the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
There are 17neighbourhoods in Tuzla District:[3]
While fishing boats are still present in Tuzla today, by the end of the 1980s, fishing had been largely overtaken by industrial services, particularly shipbuilding; the shipyards of Tuzla remain active. Farming continues to be prevalent around the inland parts of Tuzla.
Tuzla is most well known for its seafront and its abundance of fish restaurants. It is also a popular location for wealthy or retired residents of Istanbul to move into houses that are further away from the cityside. Travelling toKadıköy from Tuzla by public transport takes around 40 minutes to an hour, while the European side transit hubs ofEminönü andBeşiktaş are another 30 minutes away by ferry.
The local birdlife is primarily sustained by the wetland from the coast, which has since largely deteriorated due to the accelerating growth of the city as well as environmental product dumping by factories. To this day, environmental pollution remains a prevalent issue in Tuzla.
Frequent deaths of shipyard workers have become a common occurrence in Tuzla. This has led to criticism of the government for their lack of control of illegal employment and inaction in regards to companies and improving their working conditions. In February and March 2008, thousands of workers went on strike for better wages and conditions. The police intervened in the demonstrations, and 86 workers were taken into police custody, 15 of them injured.
The mayor of Tuzla during the 1990s wasİdris Güllüce, a leading figure in the conservativeJustice and Development Party (AK Party).