INTRODUCTION OF SANLIURFA AND SANLIURFA METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

Şanlıurfa is a city located in the historical Mesopotamia region in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, surrounded by Mardin to the east, Gaziantep to the west, Adıyaman to the north, Diyarbakır to the northeast and Syria to the south. With an area of 19,451 km², Şanlıurfa is the seventh largest city in Turkey and has a population of 2,213,964 according to the official data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) Address Based Registration System (ADKS) for 2023. With this population size, Şanlıurfa is recorded as the eighth most populous province in Turkey and is among the youngest provinces in Turkey with a youth population rate of 18.5%.

Şanlıurfa is one of the most important cities in Turkey with its rich history and cultural diversity. This city, which has been home to many civilizations throughout history, is known as the “ground zero of history” as it is home to Göbeklitepe, one of the oldest temple sites in the world dating back 12,000 years. Şanlıurfa is also known as the “City of Prophets” as it is considered to be the birthplace of Prophet Abraham. With these features, Şanlıurfa has a great richness both historically and culturally.

Culturally, Şanlıurfa offers a rich mosaic where various ethnic groups and religions live together. Different ethnic groups such as Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians make up the social fabric of the city.

As a result of the 2011 Syrian civil war, more than 5 million migrants have arrived in Turkey. Şanlıurfa, which borders Syria, has hosted approximately 500 thousand Syrian refugees since the beginning of the war. However, as a result of the voluntary return of migrants as the effects of the war waned, the number of Syrian migrants in Şanlıurfa was determined as 273,001 as of June 2024 according to the official data of Şanlıurfa Provincial Migration Administration. This has led to Şanlıurfa becoming the third province in Turkey with the largest migrant population.

Şanlıurfa's economic structure is largely based on agriculture, animal husbandry and the rapidly developing industrial and commercial sectors in recent years. With the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), significant progress has been made in agriculture and irrigation, which has greatly positively affected the economic structure of the region. Şanlıurfa, in particular, has 4.9% of Turkey's agricultural land, making it the third province with the largest land area in Turkey. Due to this great potential, Şanlıurfa is considered as an “Agriculture and Agriculture Based Export Base” under GAP.

In recent years, the industrial sector has also started to develop in Şanlıurfa. There have been serious developments especially in sectors such as textiles, food processing, construction materials and plastics. With the development of industry, job opportunities have increased and the economic structure of the region has diversified. In addition, the city's location facilitates exports to the Middle East.

Şanlıurfa is also an important tourism center with its historical and cultural richness. Its touristic attractions such as Göbeklitepe, Balıklıgöl, Harran and Halfeti attract tens of thousands of local and foreign tourists to visit the city every year. According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of tourists visiting Şanlıurfa in the January-December period of 2023 was 676 thousand. Of this number, 32 thousand are foreign tourists and 644 thousand are domestic tourists. This situation has led to positive contributions of the tourism sector to the economic structure of the city.

In terms of local governance, as a result of the rapid increase in Şanlıurfa's population and socio-economic development, the city gained Metropolitan status with the Law No. 6360 on November 12, 2012.

As Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality, our mission and vision have been determined within the framework of our quality policies. In this context; our mission is to provide exemplary municipal services in line with the planned development, aesthetic transformation and functional change of the city; with an innovative approach in investments and a participatory approach in management. Our vision is to revive the city vision of our civilization by creating a city with identity and personality with our deep-rooted history and ancient civilization, and to become a globally recognized brand city by highlighting the religious and historical identity of our city.

In order to realize the mission and vision we have determined, we are based on core values such as accessibility, objectivity, transparency, participation, accountability, social municipalism, confidentiality, process approach and sustainability.

In order to realize the mission and vision determined within the framework of these core values, 45 youth centers, 5 community centers and 35 women's support centers have been established within Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality to carry out various activities in infrastructure, superstructure, health, employment, sustainable environment, education, sports and cultural fields with 5 commissions, 25 departments, 110 directorates.

As Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality, we continue our work with a strong team and a wide service network to realize the mission and vision we have set. In this context, we aim to make the best use of the historical, cultural and economic potential of our city, to increase the welfare of our people and to make Şanlıurfa a globally recognized city.

In all our work, we adopt a transparent and participatory management approach that is sensitive to the needs of our citizens. By acting in line with the principles of accessibility, objectivity, accountability and sustainability, we aim to lay solid foundations for both the present and the future of Şanlıurfa.

Finally, with the contributions of our esteemed stakeholders, we aim to improve the quality of life of both locals and migrants by unlocking the potential of our city through projects and investments that will contribute to the development of our city. In this direction, we value all kinds of support and cooperation, and we would like to state that we are pleased to take new steps that will carry our city to a better future together.