Derik, Turkey

Derik (Kurdish: Dêrik‎[3]) is a district of the Mardin Province in the southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It has borders with Mazıdağı, Viranşehir and Kızıltepe.

For the given name, see Derek.
Derik
Derik Landscape
Derik
Coordinates: 37°21′57″N 40°16′11″E
Country Turkey
ProvinceMardin
Government
 • Elected MayorMülkiye Esmez (HDP)
 • KaymakamHakan Kafkas
Area
 • District1,323.30 km2 (510.93 sq mi)
Elevation
850 m (2,790 ft)
Population
 (2012)[2]
 • Urban
20,668
 • District
59,960
 • District density45/km2 (120/sq mi)
Post code
47800
Websitewww.derik.bel.tr

Government

In the local elections of March 2019 Mülkiye Esmez from the Peoples' Democratic Party way elected mayor.[4] But on the 15 November 2019 she was detained and a day later dismissed from her post as mayor and the District Governor Hakan Kafkas was appointed as trustee instead. [5]

History

The town is first mentioned in the late 14th century, however a Roman fort indicates that the area has been inhabited for longer. Prior to the Assyrian and Armenian genocide, Assyrians and Armenians formed the majority in the district.[6] The Armenian population of the county continued to form the majority even up until the 1930s, when systematic state persecution forced many to emigrate. One family continues to live here, and they maintain the old Armenian Church.[7][8] The Armenian Apostolic Church in Derik is only one out of six in Anatolian Turkey that operates as a church.[9]

Geography

Geographically the town includes areas from Mazıdağı foot descending towards Ceylanpınar plains. Town area descends from the north to the south. The city center is surrounded by mountains from 3 sides and has a temperate climate with some mediterranean climate effects.

In the 1990s, the nearby forests were cleared as they offered PKK shelter from the Turkish authorities. Currently there is a campaign to reforest the mountains .

Economy

Agriculture is the main industry in the city center and in the lowlands. Agricultural products include cereals, grapes, fruit, and olives. Mountain villagers and those around Karacadağ (Xalîkan) province deal in livestock. The recent drilling of water wells and construction of irrigation ponds has allowed more industrial scale agriculture to blossom here as well.


References
  1. "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  2. "Population of province/district centers and towns/villages by districts - 2012". Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  3. Avcýkýran, Dr. Adem (ed.). "Kürtçe Anamnez, Anamneza bi Kurmancî" (PDF). Tirsik. p. 55. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. Şafak, Yeni (2019-11-17). "Mardin Derik Seçim Sonuçları – Derik Yerel Seçim Sonuçları". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  5. "4 HDP mayors in southeastern Turkey dismissed on terror charges". DailySabah. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  6. Gaunt, David; Bet̲-Şawoce, Jan (2006). Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia During World War I. Gorgias Press LLC. p. 216. ISBN 978-1-59333-301-0. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  7. http://haberciniz.biz/derikteki-son-ermeni-cift-paskalya-bayramini-buruk-kutladi-2797574h.htm
  8. "Ghosts in the doorways « Bazaar Bayar". www.bazaarbayar.com. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  9. Bedrosyan, Raffi (2011-08-23). "Setting the Record Straight: List of Churches in Turkey". The Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
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