Tunceli

Tunceli ( ku, Dêrsim) is a city and municipality in eastern Turkey. It is the capital of Tunceli Province, located in the middle of the Eastern Anatolia Region. The city has a Kurdish-majority population and was a site of the Dersim rebellion.

Name

During Ottoman times, the settlement was called Kalan or Mameki. Tunceli, which is a modern name, literally means "bronze fist" in Turkish (''tunç'' meaning "bronze" and ''eli'', in this context, meaning "fist"). It shares the name with the military operation under which the Dersim massacre was conducted. The province of Dersim (or Dêsim) was renamed Tunceli in 1935, as was the settlement of Kalan, which became the province's administrative center in 1938. Dersim is popularly understood to be composed of the Kurdish/Zazaki words ''der'' ("door") and ''sim'' ("silver"), thus meaning "silver door." Whether the town should be called Dersim or Tunceli has been a cause of political quarrels. In May 2019, the local authorities decided to call it Dersim, while the governor said it was against the law to call it Dersim.

Geography

Tunceli at is situated just to the north of the intersection point of two rivers, Munzur and Pülümür, both flowing southwards. The city is located in the valley of Munzur which is known for its picturesque appearance. It is surrounded by high mountains called the Munzur mountains. The city has a limited means of transport to other cities. The population of the city is 32,815 as of 2011. It is one of the least populous provincial centers of Turkey.

History

During the time of the Ottoman Empire, Tunceli (then known as Kalan) was a part of the region named ''Dersim''. In 1847, Dersim was declared a sanjak (a historical administrative unit smaller than the province). The capital of the sanjak was Hozat. During the Republican period, Tunceli Province was established in 1935. In 1946, the former town of Kalan was renamed as Tunceli and it was declared as the capital city of the province.

As a result of the Turkish campaign of "Turkification" Tunceli became a main target of Turkish officials after the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Tunceli played a role in the Dersim rebellion by the Kurds.

Tunceli is famous for excellent rankings in National Education statistics.

Politics

In the Municipal Elections which took place on 31st of March 2019, Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu was elected Mayor. He is the first mayor of Tunceli from the Communist Party of Turkey.

In 2018, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that if "those involved with terrorism" (referring to the HDP party) were to win the elections, that his government would "appoint trustees without delay".

In May 2019 the Municipal Council decided to use the city's historic name Dersim and also to offer municipal services in Zazaki and Kurmanji. 4 Members of the newly elected municipal council had their certificates revoked in May 2019 for having been dismissed from public office in the past.

Economy

The main economic activity is animal breeding. Wheat is the only notable agricultural product. There are chromium, salt and marble deposits, but only salt is produced. There are a few factories based on agriculture.

Climate

Tunceli has a continental climate (Köppen: ''Dsa,'' Trewartha: ''Dc'') with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.

See also

*Munzur Valley National Park
*Seyid Riza
*Sophene
*Sophene Minor

Notes

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Tunceli
Cities in Turkey
Turkish Kurdistan
Populated places in Tunceli Province
Districts of Tunceli Province
Kurdish settlements in Turkey