A balanced settlement strategy preventing population accumulation and revitalizing Anatolia

Türkiye’s Settlement Pattern and Population Dynamics (Article 20)

Aydın Tiryaki (2026)

One of the most chronic problems in Türkiye’s settlement pattern is the extreme concentration of economic activities and population around the Sea of Marmara. While this unbalanced distribution results in infrastructure inadequacies, environmental pollution, and the inability to manage disaster risks, it also leads to the emptying of many regions in Anatolia. The rational solution for the future of Türkiye is to design a settlement architecture that will spread population and production throughout the country through “New Attraction Centers” (1).

Creating a new attraction center is not just about establishing industrial facilities or building housing in a region. A real attraction center is a point of gravity where job opportunities, qualified social life, and an advanced transportation network combine. To ensure that citizens return to their own regions from metropolises or to support them staying in place, it constitutes a necessity to plan these centers with a specialization strategy based on the unique potential of that region—such as agriculture, technology, tourism, or logistics (2).

For the success of regional development, it constitutes a requirement for the civil administration structure to adapt to these new economic focal points. For example, the management capacity of a district or region that has become a major logistics center should be equipped with broader powers than a traditional district administration. By establishing region-oriented planning units, decisions regarding investment incentives, land use, and environmental protection should be taken in coordination with local dynamics (3). This will increase regional ownership while reducing the burden on the central government (4).

New production and living centers to be established in the inner parts and east of Anatolia will not only save those regions but also the metropolises by lightening the load on them. Implementing social policies to encourage reverse migration—such as education quality, health infrastructure, and cultural opportunities—as a priority in these centers will make Türkiye’s settlement map much more balanced and resilient (5).

In conclusion, Türkiye’s management and settlement vision should be to move from a single-centered growth model to a multi-centered and complementary regional networks model. An architecture that mobilizes local potential, spreads citizen welfare throughout the country, and manages development locally is indispensable for a sustainable Türkiye (6).

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.

ANNEXES

Annex A: Decisive Criteria for New Attraction Centers

• Sectoral Specialization: Identification of the main sector suitable for the natural and economic data of the region.
• Logistic Accessibility: Existence of railway, port, and highway connections.
• Standards for Quality of Life: Providing qualified housing, health, and education facilities at a central level.
• Incentives and Supports: Definition of region-specific tax and investment facilities.

Annex B: Example Basins That Can Be Regional Development Focal Points in Türkiye

• Agriculture and Food Technology: Konya, Şanlıurfa, and Çukurova basins.
• Industry and Logistics Corridor: Surroundings of the Filyos project, Mersin-Adana axis.
• Technology and Software Hubs: Satellite cities in the hinterland of Eskişehir, Ankara, and İzmir.

Annex C: Sociological and Economic Effects of Reverse Migration

• Reduction of housing and transportation pressure in metropolises.
• Increase in local production and agricultural productivity in Anatolia.
• Elimination of regional income inequality.

REFERENCES

(1) Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Industry and Technology, National Strategy for Regional Development (2024-2028). https://www.sanayi.gov.tr

(2) General Directorate of Development Agencies, Attraction Centers Support Program Reports. https://www.ka.gov.tr

(3) Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), Internal Migration Statistics and Regional Population Projections. https://www.tuik.gov.tr

(4) Tiryaki, A. (2026). Disaster Resilient Settlement Planning (Article 19 of the Series).

(5) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Local and Regional Development Strategies. https://www.undp.org

(6) Republic of Türkiye Presidency of Strategy and Budget, 12th Development Plan and Settlement Policies. https://www.sbb.gov.tr

(7) European Union Regional Policy (Cohesion Policy) and Smart Specialization Strategies Analysis. https://ec.europa.eu