Tuzla (district)
Encyclopedia
Tuzla is a small town, a suburb of Istanbul
, Turkey
on the Asia
n side of the city beyond Kartal
and Pendik
. Tuzla is on a headland on the coast of the Marmara Sea, at the eastern limit of the city. The mayor is Şadi Yazıcı (AKP
).
name for the headland was Akritas. In Ottoman
times the inhabitants of this fishing and farming village were mainly Greek
, and these people were swapped for Turkish residents of Thessalonica, Kavala
and Drama in the population exchange
following the foundation of the Turkish Republic in the early 1920s.
Tuzla is a small town famous for its sea front and its many fish restaurants. It is also a popular location for wealthy Istanbul residents or the retired to buy homes as it is far from the city, less crowded and still retains a 'small town feel' to it. Travelling to Kadıköy
from Tuzla by public transport takes about an hour to 1.5 hours by train or bus. The European side transit hubs of Eminönü
and Beşiktaş
are another thirty minutes away by ferry.
There is a wetland inland from the coast, important for bird life, but it has deteriorated badly as the town of Tuzla has grown, and some factories are dumping their waste into the lagoon. Today, the biggest problems in Tuzla are air pollution and ecology in general.
Recently, Tuzla has become known for frequent deaths of the shipyard workers. The government is being criticised for not controlling illegal employment and not forcing companies to maintain better working conditions. Companies claim that they contribute great amounts to the Turkish economy and low-paid workers are their advantage. 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.
, Turkish Naval Academy
, Koç School
, Piri Reis University
, Sabancı University
and ITU School of Maritime
are located in Tuzla.
.
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...
, 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...
on the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n side of the city beyond Kartal
Kartal
Kartal is a district of Istanbul, Turkey located on the Asian side of the city, on the coast of the Marmara Sea between Maltepe and Pendik. The mayor is Altınok Öz . Despite being far from the city centre, Kartal is heavily populated now. . Total land area is 147,000 m² which includes some...
and Pendik
Pendik
Pendik is a district of Istanbul, Turkey on the Asian side between Kartal and Tuzla, on the Marmara Sea. Its population is 625.365 and its mayor is Salih Kenan Şahin .-History:...
. Tuzla is on a headland on the coast of the Marmara Sea, at the eastern limit of the city. The mayor is Şadi Yazıcı (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
The GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
name for the headland was Akritas. In Ottoman
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...
times the inhabitants of this fishing and farming village were mainly Greek
Greeks in Turkey
The Greeks in Turkey constitute a population of Greek and Greek-speaking Eastern Orthodox Christians who mostly live in Istanbul, including its district Princes' Islands, as well as on the two islands of the western entrance to the Dardanelles: Imbros and Tenedos .They are the remnants of the...
, and these people were swapped for Turkish residents of Thessalonica, Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
and Drama in the population exchange
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey was based upon religious identity, and involved the Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of Greece...
following the foundation of the Turkish Republic in the early 1920s.
Tuzla today
There are still fishing boats, but by the end of the 1980s, fishing had been overtaken by industry, particularly shipbuilding; the shipyards of Tuzla are still active today. There is still some farming going on inland from the town of Tuzla, although there is also industrial development.Tuzla is a small town famous for its sea front and its many fish restaurants. It is also a popular location for wealthy Istanbul residents or the retired to buy homes as it is far from the city, less crowded and still retains a 'small town feel' to it. Travelling to Kadıköy
Kadiköy
Kadıköy is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district of İstanbul, Turkey on the Asian side of the Sea of Marmara, facing the historic city centre on the European side of the Bosporus...
from Tuzla by public transport takes about an hour to 1.5 hours by train or bus. The European side transit hubs of Eminönü
Eminönü
Eminönü is a former district of Istanbul in Turkey, now a neighbourhood of Fatih district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers the point on which the Byzantine capital was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn...
and Beşiktaş
Besiktas
Beşiktaş is a municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and on the east by the Bosphorus...
are another thirty minutes away by ferry.
There is a wetland inland from the coast, important for bird life, but it has deteriorated badly as the town of Tuzla has grown, and some factories are dumping their waste into the lagoon. Today, the biggest problems in Tuzla are air pollution and ecology in general.
Recently, Tuzla has become known for frequent deaths of the shipyard workers. The government is being criticised for not controlling illegal employment and not forcing companies to maintain better working conditions. Companies claim that they contribute great amounts to the Turkish economy and low-paid workers are their advantage. 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.
Places of importance
Istanbul's Formula One racetrackIstanbul Park
Istanbul Park , also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a motor sports race track in Akfırat County east of Istanbul, Turkey. It was inaugurated on 21 August 2005...
, Turkish Naval Academy
Turkish Naval Academy
The Turkish Naval Academy is a four year co-educational military academy located in the district of Tuzla in Istanbul. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Navy...
, Koç School
Koç School
The Koç School is a private school in Istanbul, Turkey. It was founded by Vehbi Koç, one of Turkey's wealthiest businessmen, and is currently under the umbrella of the Vehbi Koç Foundation. The school comprises a high school, which was established in 1988, and an elementary school, established ten...
, Piri Reis University
Piri Reis University
Piri Reis University is a private university founded in 2008 in Istanbul, Turkey. Named after the Turkish admiral and cartographer Piri Reis Piri Reis University is a private university founded in 2008 in Istanbul, Turkey. Named after the Turkish admiral and cartographer Piri Reis Piri Reis...
, Sabancı University
Sabanci University
Sabancı University is a private research institution located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 1996. SU is a small and highly focused university with 2861 undergraduates and 624 graduates, maintaining a strong emphasis on social and natural sciences...
and ITU School of Maritime
ITU School of Maritime
ITU School of Maritime is a faculty of the Istanbul Technical University in Turkey, which is dedicated to maritime science and technology.The history of the faculty dates back to the "Merchant Navy Boarding School" , which was established on December 5, 1884 at Heybeliada, Istanbul as a part of...
are located in Tuzla.
Politics
The mayor of Tuzla throughout the 1990s was Idris Gulluce, a leading figure in the conservative Justice and Development Party (AK Party)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...
.