Analysis of the province establishment processes and the transition from 67 to 81

Türkiye’s Settlement Pattern and Population Dynamics (Article 1)

Aydın Tiryaki (2026)

The administrative structure of Türkiye has been in a constant state of change since the proclamation of the Republic, based on social transformations, economic pursuits, and political preferences. While the civil administration heritage inherited from the Ottoman Empire in 1923 was being redesigned according to the requirements of a modern state, the concept of “province” (il) was positioned as the most remote and powerful representative of the central government (1). The number of provinces, which was 71 in the early years of the Republic (Annex A), changed over time in an effort to create a rational management area, sometimes reduced for the purpose of savings and sometimes increased due to local development justifications.

The regulations made in the 1920s and 30s reflected the efforts of a state facing shortages to make its administrative units more controllable and efficient. In particular, the reduction in the number of provinces with restrictions in 1926 and 1933 was a result of the economic requirements of that day (2). However, in the new period starting with the 1950s, the demands of districts to become provinces began to turn into a social expectation. The number of provinces, which reached 67 in 1957 (Annex B), formed a long-standing balance point that remained unchanged for exactly 32 years in Türkiye’s settlement map (3).

The biggest rupture in the administrative architecture of Türkiye began in 1989. Managed with 67 provinces, Türkiye entered an expansion process that reached 81 provinces in a short period of ten years. This process, starting with Aksaray and ending with Düzce, is not a situation that can be explained solely by population growth. In the elevation of many districts to provincial status, the expectations of local voters and the promises brought by political competition were decisive factors (4). While this rapid increase brought about a new bureaucracy, new buildings, and a new management cost, it also shook the geographical and population balance between provinces.

The current structure with 81 provinces (Annex C) represents a massive organization in the settlement order of Türkiye. However, the extent to which this numerical increase contributes to the quality of public services and the speed of management is still a debated issue today. Moving away from rational criteria in determining province borders and establishing new provinces has also formed the basis for many settlement and population problems experienced by Türkiye today (5).

Aydın Tiryaki Ankara, January 12, 2026

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All ideas, opinions, and suggestions in this article belong to the author. During the process of writing the text, the artificial intelligence Gemini was utilized for writing assistance and information compilation.

APPENDICES

Annex A: Full List of Provinces in the First Period of the Republic (1923-1924) (71 Provinces) Adana, Afyonkarahisar, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Balıkesir, Bayazıt (Ağrı), Bilecik, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canik (Samsun), Cebelibereket, Çanakkale, Çankırı, Çorum, Denizli, Dersim, Diyarbekir, Elaziz (Elazığ), Ergani, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Gelibolu, Genç, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Isparta, İçel (Silifke), İstanbul, İzmir, İzmit, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kırşehir, Konya, Kozan, Kütahya, Malatya, Manisa, Maraş, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Muş, Niğde, Oltu, Ordu, Rize, Samsun, Siirt, Sinop, Sivas, Siverek, Şebinkarahisar, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, Tokat, Trabzon, Urfa, Van, Yozgat, Zonguldak.

Annex B: List of 67 Fixed Provinces Between 1957 – 1989 Adana, Adıyaman, Afyonkarahisar, Ağrı, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Artvin, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bilecik, Bingöl, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Çanakkale, Çankırı, Çorum, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Edirne, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Hatay, Isparta, İçel (Mersin), İstanbul, İzmir, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kırşehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Manisa, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Muğla, Muş, Nevşehir, Niğde, Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Siirt, Sinop, Sivas, Tekirdağ, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Şanlıurfa, Uşak, Van, Yozgat, Zonguldak.

Annex C: Full List of Current 81 Provinces and License Plate Codes (2026) 01 Adana, 02 Adıyaman, 03 Afyonkarahisar, 04 Ağrı, 05 Amasya, 06 Ankara, 07 Antalya, 08 Artvin, 09 Aydın, 10 Balıkesir, 11 Bilecik, 12 Bingöl, 13 Bitlis, 14 Bolu, 15 Burdur, 16 Bursa, 17 Çanakkale, 18 Çankırı, 19 Çorum, 20 Denizli, 21 Diyarbakır, 22 Edirne, 23 Elazığ, 24 Erzincan, 25 Erzurum, 26 Eskişehir, 27 Gaziantep, 28 Giresun, 29 Gümüşhane, 30 Hakkari, 31 Hatay, 32 Isparta, 33 Mersin, 34 İstanbul, 35 İzmir, 36 Kars, 37 Kastamonu, 38 Kayseri, 39 Kırklareli, 40 Kırşehir, 41 Kocaeli, 42 Konya, 43 Kütahya, 44 Malatya, 45 Manisa, 46 Kahramanmaraş, 47 Mardin, 48 Muğla, 49 Muş, 50 Nevşehir, 51 Niğde, 52 Ordu, 53 Rize, 54 Sakarya, 55 Samsun, 56 Siirt, 57 Sinop, 58 Sivas, 59 Tekirdağ, 60 Tokat, 61 Trabzon, 62 Tunceli, 63 Şanlıurfa, 64 Uşak, 65 Van, 66 Yozgat, 67 Zonguldak, 68 Aksaray, 69 Bayburt, 70 Karaman, 71 Kırıkkale, 72 Batman, 73 Şırnak, 74 Bartın, 75 Ardahan, 76 Iğdır, 77 Yalova, 78 Karabük, 79 Kilis, 80 Osmaniye, 81 Düzce.

REFERENCES

(1) Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior, General Directorate of Provincial Administration, History of Civil Administrative Structure. https://www.icisleri.gov.tr/illeridaresi/mulki-idare-yapisi

(2) Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), Population and Administrative Unit Indicators of the Republican Era. https://www.tuik.gov.tr/kurumsal/tarihce

(3) Republic of Türkiye Presidency Legislative Information System, Laws on the Establishment of Provinces Between 1950-1960. https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr

(4) Law No. 6360 on the Establishment of Metropolitan Municipalities and Twenty-Six Districts in Thirteen Provinces and Amendments. https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2012/12/20121206-1.htm

(5) Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior, Inventory of Civil Administrative Officers and Current Province/District Lists. https://www.e-icisleri.gov.tr/Anasayfa/MulkiIdareBolumleri.aspx