Demographic Movements in the Township of Büyükçekmece
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УПРАВЛЕНИЕ И ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION TOM V (2) 2009 VOL. V (2) 2009 DEMOGRAPHIC MOVEMENTS IN THE TOWNSHIP OF BÜYÜKÇEKMECE Mesut Doğan ДЕМОГРАФСКОТО РАЗВИТИЕ В ОБЩИНА БУЮКЧЕКМЕДЖЕ Месут Доган ABSTRAC: The township of Büyükçekmece is located in the European side of Istanbul. It is surrounded by the townships of Silivri in the west, Çatalca and Arnavutköy in the north, Esenyurt in the east with Beylikdüzü in the east and southeast and by the Marmara Sea in the south. Its population does not have a static structure, and so it is in a constant fluctuation. This fluctuation continues depending, apart from births and deaths, on migra- tions. Since the time of the existence of humans, political, economic, and socio-cultural developments have con- tinued in human life. These developments have affected the population in every way and have caused changes in its structure. Because of Istanbul’s expansion from center to periphery, Büyükçekmece, located in the western part of Istanbul, has been affected by this fact. Especially after 1985, it has been observed a great development in the population of Büyükçekmece. Today, with its economic life and tourism activities, this township, which has gained various functions because of the expansion of housing, will have an important place in the future. Key Words: Turkey, Büyükçekmece, Population, Development The town Büyükçekmece, in the west of Is- as was in the past. When important areas are tanbul in Çatalca District of Marmara Region, is examined, it can be realized that multifunctional surrounded by Silivri in the west, Çatalca and areas are always attractive and tend to develop. Arnavutköy in the north, Esenyurt in the east and Throughout the history, Büyükçekmece became Beylikdüzü in the southeast and by the Marmara prominent for its assorted functions such as its Sea in the South. (Graphic 1) The Lake political, economic, transportation and tourism Büyükçekmece stretches in the north-south di- sides. The Lakes Büyükçekmece and rection. Two international roads pass across this Küçükçekmece, 12 km away from each other in town (TEM and E5) connecting Europe to Asia. the west of Istanbul, attract the attention of the Borders of the town, which changed frequently people because the Lake Büyükçekmece was in the recent past, cover 181 km2 today. The blocked by the sea, a cove formed out and its town was known as Athyra and Atira in the past. was invaded by the sea with the last transgres- While it was a district of the Cadi of Eyüp in the sion in the lake pleistocene, which formed an 17th century, it administratively became a part of estuary. A spit at its mouth which gradually pro- Çatalca District in 1876, a sub-district of Çatalca gressed and blocked its sea connection created in 1926 with the Proclamation of the Republic the Lake Büyükçekmece. In the south of the spit, and a town on 17 June 1897 by the law 3392 of a cove formed out, which is called “çekmece” Council of Ministers. By the temporary item 2 of (drawer). The cove which came into being at that Metropolitan Law dated 23 July 2004 and num- spot is larger than that of Küçükçekmece and it bered 5216 in the law “Foundation of new towns was called Büyükçekmece (the Large Drawer). in Metropolitan Municipalities” dated 22 March In fact the Lake Küçükçekmece is larger than the 2008. 2 (Beylikdüzü and Esenyurt) of the new Lake Büyükçekmece. The size of Büyükçekmece towns were from Büyükçekmece. is 12km2, where as that of Küçükçekmece is Büyükçekmece’s morphology is slightly 15km2. The adjectives were adhered according to mountainous due to its position in the Çatalca the size of the coves, not because of the size of Peninsula. The town, prominent for its role in the lakes. Those two lakes came into being transportation network, has a highly active and thanks to the separation of the old estuary and strategic position with its town functions. Its coves from the sea on the side of cordons geographical position makes it important today (Inandık, H. 1965, p.6). Our study area exhibits 66 the climatic characteristics of the South Marmara from the Balkans and the North in winter. The and is especially open to the climatic effects flora of Büyükçekmece is almost nonexistent. Graphic 1. Büyükçekmece location map. Büyükçekmece with its position, dating back The Hun Emperor Atilla seized Büyükçekmece to the ancient times, contains important trans- in 447 BC, which was then included within the portation routes and borders the sea and has fer- borders of the Roman Empire. The area, being on tile lands, which increased the invasions in the the migration route, became the land of the East- area. Transportation and commercial activities ern Roman Empire, in other words “Byzantine are greatly interdependent. These activities sup- Empire”, after the division of the Roman Empire port each other and go hand in hand. Favourable in 395 AD. Büyükçekmece got affected by the transportation attracted industrial and commer- invasion attempts of the Avar Turks in the 7th cial activities until the last administrative divi- Century and of Bulgaria in the 9th century. Our sion. Our study area was used as a game and a study area, seized by the Pechenegs in 1090, winter quarter in the pre-Republic period, dam- became an important resort and accommodation aged by the invasions because of its geographical centre of Anatolian Seljuks’ Armies. After the position. Consequesntly, historical buildings also Ottoman Empire crossed over to Rumelia, got damaged. Büyükçekmece, called Athyra and population movements from Anatolia to the west Atira, was founded as a colony in the 7th century occurred. It was negatively affected by the Otto- BC and ruled by the Thracians for a long time. man-Russian War (1829), the Balkan Wars 67 (1912-1913) and the World War I (1914-1918). sometimes in small and sometimes in large num- As is known, wars always have negative effects bers in a geographical area. Interregional migra- on the settlement. Due to its strategic position, tion and birth rates lead to population move- our study area got socio-economically affected, ments. Positive or negative conditions a settle- too. Because it is an active route, some transpor- ment provides directly affect the population and tation difficulties used to be faced especially the opportunities. Our study area has always when the water of the lake rose up in the rain attracted the attention of the people in terms of spell. Therefore, Mimar Sinan (Sinan the Archi- population movements with its transportation tect) constructed a bridge by the decree of opportunities, fertile agricultural lands, and Kanuni Sultan Süleyman. The bridge was used closeness to Istanbul, which is a social, cultural, till the end of 1950s and Mimar Sinan Bridge economic and political centre. The town got was restored and left out of service after E5 highly urbanized as a result of the different func- started to run. Büyükçekmece with an important tions which gained importance after the Indus- transportation capacity from past to the present trial Revolution and differentiation of various possesses routes active throughout the history. types from each other in terms of function be- The most important and active one is Belgrad- came possible (Göney, 1995, p.50). Industrial Istanbul direction. This road used to start in Bel- movements, which took place in our country grad and reach the historical peninsula after after 1950, resulted in great changes and devel- passing across Niş-Sofia-Meriç plain, Filibe opment, visible differences in the geographical Edirne, Havsa, Babaeski, Lüleburgaz, Büyük- area, variations of the functions to make the life karıştıran, Çoğlu, Ereğli, Silivri, Büyükçekmece, easier, change in the construction style, founda- Küçükçekmece and Yedikule. The other active tion of entertainment and resting places, more road, which is Tuna-Burgaz-Istanbul route, used extensive daily population flows. Although mi- to pass through Thrace, the south of Kırıkkale on gration takes place depending on industrializa- the Black Sea coastline towards Pınarhisar and tion in economically developed countries, set- got connected to the road above after Sinekli tlements grow in parallel with the natural popu- (Mansel, 1938, pp. 6-7). Rhegion (Küçükçek- lation growth especially in the underdeveloped mece) as an important small castle in the early countries. The developmental opportunities of a Middle Age, located westward from Byzantine, settlement are highly interrelated with its geo- along the northern coast of the Propontis and graphical position and regional conditions. small Athyra (Büyükçekmece) Port founded at Socio-economic development of the settlements the mouth of a namesake creek in its west. There is dependent upon the positive and negative ef- was Selymbria on the same coastline (Sevin, fects the nature poses. In our country, the urban 2001, p.21, Ankara). These three cities still pre- coverage and the effect of a settlement are ex- serve their past positions. Especially, panding over a large area as a result of the non- Büyükçekmece is important because it connects agricultural sectors in the settlements growing the others to each other. The increase in the level with the increasing population. Commercial, of the lakes and creek in winter used to affect the transportation, tourism, educational, social and transportation negatively. Partial asphalting of cultural functions emerge as a result of the ur- the road in 1934 caused minor changes in its banization in Büyükçekmece and these functions economy. This change manifested itself in the became effective in every walk of life. Generally replacement of cereals by fruit and vegetables in economically developing countries, there is a and foundations producing dairy products. This flow from rural areas to urban ones, which re- caused an increase in the tomato, pearl onion, sults from financial problems (of land ownership, melon, maize, anarsa (Gürpınar) vineyards, and natural and economic conditions) and from the livestock feeding and as a result meadows ap- fact that cities provide employment with its ur- peared (Akgün 1997, p.