Why should Cide become a province?

There is a province fury going on. For 50 years, there have been changes in the number of provinces. Provinces were turned into districts and districts into provinces. Even the provinces that were made districts regained their old status. 

Undoubtedly, political reasons rather than legislative provisions were decisive here. Most of the time, the votes received or to be received were prioritized over other efficiency and effectiveness criteria. 

However, the legislator had set the criteria for becoming a province 74 years ago. Perhaps a security criterion can be added to this, which can be counted among the requirements of public services.

Law No. 5442 on Provincial Administration

"Turkey is divided into provinces, provinces into districts and districts into parishes according to geography, economic conditions and the requirements of public services in terms of central administrative organization."

As can be seen, the most important criterion is the geographical situation. 

The second is economic conditions. 

The third is the requirements of public services.

No other criterion or criterion is specified or standardized. 

Current Situation: 81 Provinces 922 Districts 

Located in the Western Black Sea Region, Zonguldak is the first province of the Republic. For a long time, this province was in our minds as the last license plate number of 67 provinces.  

After the 1999 earthquake, Düzce, which became a province, was the last settlement to gain this right.  

Today, there are 81 provinces and 922 districts in Turkey...

New Target: 100 Provinces-1000 Districts 

One year ago, the Deputy Chairman of the Ruling Party and Istanbul Deputy Vedat Demiröz used some statements in the 1071 National Garden area in Ahlat district of Bitlis on June 25, 2022, which were perceived as an increase in the number of provinces in Turkey from 81 to 100.

"With the proposal of Mr. Devlet Bahçeli and the decision of our President, we will hopefully include our Ahlat among these cities at a time when the number of provinces in Turkey will increase to 100." 

Although there was a correction later, the latest confirmation from MHP President Dr. Devlet Bahçeli showed that this correction was unnecessary: 

"Our 100-article Constitutional proposal text for the 100th anniversary of the Republic has already been prepared. In the new century, it is possible for us to build and revive a Turkey that has strengthened its power with an administrative structure consisting of 100 provinces and 1000 districts."  

Which districts will be made provinces?

The districts mentioned in the same news source that are candidates to become provinces are as follows: 

Polatli, Ankara

Yuksekova, Hakkari

Kahta, Adiyaman

Midyat, Mardin

Siverek, Sanliurfa

Ergani, Diyarbakir

Cizre, Sirnak

Nazilli, Aydin

Edremit, Balikesir

Alanya, Antalya

Manavgat, Antalya

Lüleburgaz, Kirklareli

Bandirma, Balikesir

Iskenderun, Hatay

Inegol, Bursa

Unye, Ordu

Kozan, Adana

Fethiye, Mugla

Ercis, Van

Tarsus, Mersin

Akhisar, Manisa

Corlu, Tekirdag

Eregli, Konya

Elbistan, Kahramanmaras

Some sources add Zonguldak and Karadeniz Ereğli to this. 

However, this is completely wrong. It does not comply with the geographical situation, economic conditions and the requirements of public services.  Because these districts do not comply with the Provincial Administration Law and are contrary to the spirit of the Metropolitan Law.

Why was the Metropolitan Law enacted?

The Republic of Turkey, which structured its new form of government according to the principle of centralization influenced by France, considered the Village Law No. 442 enacted in 1924 to be sufficient since a large proportion of the population lived in rural areas. 

As the urban population increased due to migration and the development of life and job opportunities in cities, urban municipalities gained importance. 

Municipal Law No. 1580 enacted in 1930, 

Law No. 5216 on Metropolitan Municipalities enacted in 2004, 

Law No. 5302 on Special Provincial Administration and Law No. 5393 on Municipalities enacted in 2005, 

Law No. 6360 introduced basic regulations within the framework of the Law on the Amendment of Certain Decree Laws enacted in 2012. 

Law No. 6360, with the impact of increasing technology and informatics, "redesigned municipalities in terms of the division of duties, powers and responsibilities between metropolitan and district municipalities, urban and rural area management, zoning and planning, personnel system, commercial companies and subsidiaries of municipalities."  With the Law No. 6360, 30 cities became "metropolitan". Before the 2019 local elections, the conditions for becoming a metropolitan city will be reorganized and 51 more cities are planned to become metropolitan cities with the so-called "tumşehir" model of governance. 

As can be seen, metropolitan metropolitanization is in line with the objectives of better management of the whole and making more use of technology and informatics. 

Fragmenting metropolitan cities by separating districts from them will not provide anything other than the financial burden and burden it will bring. 

Which provinces are included in metropolitan cities?

Ankara Polatlı, Mardin Midyat, Şanlıurfa Siverek, Diyarbakır Ergani, Aydın Nazilli, Balıkesir Bandırma and Edremit, Antalya, Manavgat and Alanya, Hatay İskenderun, Bursa İnegöl, Ordu Ünye, Adana Kozan, Muğla Fethiye, Van Erciş, Manisa Akhisar, Mersin Tarsus, Konya Ereğli and Kahramanmaraş Elbistan are already within metropolitan boundaries. 

Making these provinces without any other considerations or justifications is not in line with the metropolitan and metropolitanization approach. 

The remaining non-metropolitan cities of Adıyaman Kahta, Şırnak Cizre and Tekirdağ Çorlu are less than 40 km from the center. Kırklareli Lüleburgaz is 58 km away. 

The distance between the center of Hakkari and Yüksekova is 78 km and takes close to two hours. 

Among all these candidates, Yüksekova is the closest to becoming a province in terms of criteria. 

Points that should become a province 

There are points that meet the criteria of geographical situation, economic conditions and the requirements of public services and should become provinces. It is useful to give information about two of them: 

I will give information about Cide in a moment, but Giresun Çamoluk has a distance of around 200 km from all provinces. 

The surrounding axis of Giresun Şebinkarahisar or Sivas Suşehri is far from all centers.   

One of these or a region in the middle should be made a provincial center in terms of the requirements of public services, including geographical situation, economic conditions and security. 

Why Cide should be a province

Cide should be a province. 

There are many demographic and historical reasons for this, especially the legal criteria of geographical situation, economic conditions and the requirements of public services. 

1- The Longest Coast of the Black Sea Cide (Geography Criterion)

Cide should be a province due to its geographical situation. 

First of all, the longest coast of the Black Sea is here. 

The Ottomans did it justice by calling it "Uzunkum". 

The Black Sea coastline of Cide alone is 103 km, the longest in the entire Black Sea. Its 11 km of uninterrupted sandy beach is another record in the Black Sea region.  It fits the definition of the longest and most beautiful coast. 

Cide is 131 km from Kastamonu and it takes 2.5 hours to reach the center if the geographical and meteorological conditions are right. 

Kastamonu, with more than 170 km of coastline, is 110 km from the nearest coast.

2- Tourism, Shipping and Trade Center Cide (Economic Criterion)

Cide should also be a province in terms of economic conditions. 

During the Ottoman Empire, Cide gained importance as a distribution center for the salt brought from the Russian tsar under the name of "Karaağaç İskelesi" and as a port where goods were shipped to the empire. 

The district was also an important center for shipyard and shipping. The most perfect Sultanate boats were built here. 

Cide, 90 percent of which is surrounded by forests, is a magnificent natural area that includes canyon, mountain and cave tourism as well as sea tourism. It is the new attraction center of nature tourism.

Its commercial products are timber, apples and chestnuts. Since the people in the coastal region are sailors, timber, apples and chestnuts are transported and sold abroad. Cane making, boat, dinghy and ship manufacturing still continue in Cide.  There is an example of colorful yellow manuscript printing in Cide district.

It becomes a complete province together with Kurucaşile, Şenpazar, Pınarbaşı, Azdavay and Doğanyurt in the basin around it. 

In 2023 Eid al-Adha, nearly 57,000 private vehicles from outside entered Cide and over 200,000 guests from outside were hosted.   Cide has already assumed the identity of a nature tourism center. 

3- Requirements of Public Services (Criteria)

Cide is a settlement that should be a province in terms of the requirements of public services. 

It lost half of its workable male population in Çanakkale and the War of Independence. 

Despite this, when the Republic was established, it had a population more crowded than the population of many of the current provinces at that time. 

The village roads of Cide and the districts to be connected are largely unpaved. 

There are floods.

As a very simple example, the Cide phase of the 1230 km Black Sea coastal road has not been completed.  

The Cide-Şenpazar route is a rare unfinished part of the project, which took 63 years to plan and 36 years to start.

Cide Province will play an important role in the equitable regional distribution of public services. 

A magnificent Turkish province will be born in the hinterland of the Küre Mountains. 

4- Cide's becoming a province will provide a historical equality of opportunity: (Historical Overview)

In 1299 AH (1882), Kastamonu (Pasha) Sanjak, which also dominated the sanjaks of Bolu, Çankırı and Sinop, consisted of four districts and eight accidents connected to the center. These were Taşköprü, İnebolu, Safranbolu, Tosya, İskilip, Daday, Araç and Cide.   

In these years, the Cide kaza, together with its sub-districts, consisted of thirty-six villages and four thousand three hundred Islamic households. There were no non-Muslim populations in Cide and Araç.   

Cide kaza has the least number of shops with a total of forty-one shops.  

Despite all these negativities, Cide has a population of 23 thousand according to 2018 data.  It is constantly emigrating. 

Kastamonu Deputy Dadaylı Halit Akmansü, who gave important information about Cide a century ago, captured General Trikopis, the Commander-in-Chief of the Greek army, as the crown of the War of Independence. 

Let's look at what he wrote about Cide almost a hundred years ago in 1924. Why should Cide be a province from a historical perspective?  Let's take the paragraphs verbatim and put small headings:

a. Cide is Cute, but Cute does not fill the belly

"Cide is a charming town on the Black Sea coast. However, cuteness does not feed the stomach. If the villages are poor, the district will be poorer. Money will not fall from the sky. The villages are much poorer and more miserable than expected. The bread they eat does not constitute food. There are widows and orphans everywhere. There is no land to cultivate. In some places corn is grown only on a small scale. Our elders used to tell us that because of the lack of food, people used to grind corn cones and eat them. Mr. Halit says the same thing."

Just as my late mother and father told me, during the famine period (World War II), corn cones were ground in the mill and used as flour, and when an apple kesmuk was found, people were very happy.

Oak palut was made into katyk. 

b. Cide knew poverty as destiny but never resented its state

"Despite being poor, the Cidelis fulfilled all their duties towards the state. They paid taxes, helped, served in the army and even fell martyrs. They knew poverty as their fate but never resented their state. Mr. Halit gave some figures for the years 1920 and 1923. 13222 liras from the salaries of the retired, orphans, widows and those who completed their active military service, 14081 liras for the goods taken from the people in accordance with the Tekâlif-i Milliye law and not yet paid, 3900 liras for transportation, 3500 liras for those who finished their military service but whose receivables have not yet arrived. In total, the Cidelis' receivables from the state amounted to 35,220 liras. These must have been paid later."

Probably not, but our noble people did not have a problem with this. This is probably the only region where roads were built without expropriation. 

c. Cide with a population of 37,000 gave approximately 11,000 soldiers and 5,000 martyrs

"Mr. Halit also gives figures about military service. He got the information from the Ahz-ı asker department (in today's language, the military branch). In early 1900 (1316/17), the population of the town was 37 thousand. Cide suffered great losses during the Balkan and World War I. Considering that a significant portion of these were from the villages, the dimensions of the disaster can be better understood. There was almost no male population left in the villages. Those who died of natural causes, in the hospital, on deployment or air exchange are 1664 people. Those who were martyred are 1841. Those whose life and death are unknown are 1357 people; 4862 people in total. In a place like Cide, nearly five thousand people perished. 10936 people were conscripted into the army, 6074 of them were demobilized. At the end of the wars, 1/8 of the population of the kaza is no longer in the square."

As a fellow countryman whose birthplace is written as Cide on the birth certificate, let us note in history that Ahmet, Mehmet and Mustafa, one of the 4 sons of my great-grandfather, were martyred in Çanakkale, and Hasan, who was summoned at the age of 16, survived with the end of the War of Independence. 

d. It is doubtful that basic public services are provided to Cide

"These tactics that have been revealed show how dire the situation is. Of course it is everyone's duty to serve in the army and pay taxes. But shouldn't the state also provide certain services to citizens? It is doubtful that basic public services are being provided. The most important state services are roads, schools and health. Without roads, it is impossible for any service to reach the district or the villages. Cidelis have always suffered from this road issue. Their connections with Bartın and İnebolu, the closest ones, were made by sea. Having experienced this kind of transportation a few times myself, I can appreciate the situation. The sea is not always like a beach. In fact, the Black Sea changes in an hour; it goes quiet and starts to roar."

"The highway between Cide and Azdavay is very inadequate. Those who know recent history will remember that even the road we use today has a history of fifteen or twenty years. I am not discussing its quality at all. How will other state services go where there are no roads?"

"When we were in middle school, we had friends from Cideli. During the semester break, they would first go to İnebolu, and from there they would go to Cide by ferry or motorboat. On the way back, they would come back the same way. When the sea was rough, the ferry would pass by without stopping in Inebolu. Then people would spend the night in coffee corners. You will say there are no hotels? There are, but there is no money in the pocket."

It is known that Cide is still the unfinished link of the Black Sea Coastal Road. Cide and its hinterland still cannot benefit enough from basic public services. 

e. Only Governor Atıf Bey visited Cide, which became an accident in 1868, until 1924

"The steep mountains and deep valleys between Cide and Kastamonu prevented transportation. Interestingly, governors occasionally traveled to Sinop, Zonguldak, Bartın and Ereğli within the province. For this, it is necessary to go to İnebolu first. Then the ferry journey begins. The governors are right, how will they get to Cide when the sea is rough? Cidelis complain; they say no governor has ever come to our town except Atıf Bey."

People used to talk about the lack of a highway until the Özal period. People used to talk about the region being penalized. True or false, I have not confirmed it, but this perception existed. But there is a question that needs to be answered for this region that sacrificed its life and property for this homeland but never sulked: Why?

f. Cide's Problems are Endless, They will end when it becomes a province

"Cide's problems are endless. Mr. Halit gave us valuable information in terms of statistics and showed us the source. I remember him with mercy."

In the 1900s, Cide, with a population of 37,000, most of whom lived in villages, migrated to Istanbul to escape poverty. 

200,000 people came for a holiday. 

The roads are well known. 

Cide is the first place that meets the criteria of geographical situation, economic conditions and the requirements of public services and should become a province. 

A brand new center of attraction will be born.

Kastamonu's burden would be lightened. 

Küre Mountains will have a wonderful Turkish city. A port, trade and tourism city opening to Europe and the world will be established.

Cide deserves this equal opportunity.

Until the end.

Cide's problems are endless, they will end when it becomes a province.