Derince is a seaport, municipality and district of Kocaeli Province, Turkey.[2] Its area is 198 km2,[3] and its population is 146,374 (2022).[1] The mayor is Sertif Gökçe (CHP).
Derince | |
|---|---|
District and municipality | |
 | |
 Logo | |
 Map showing Derince District in Kocaeli Province | |
  Derince Location in Turkey  Derince Derince (Marmara) | |
| Coordinates: 40°45′14″N 29°49′23″E / 40.75389°N 29.82306°E | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Kocaeli |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sertif Gökçe (CHP) |
Area | 198 km2 (76 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 146,374 |
| • Density | 739/km2 (1,910/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
| Area code | 0262 |
| Website | www |
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Derince Port is one of the few ports in Turkey under government control. The port is operated by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD).[4] Having one of the biggest storage area in the region, the port is widely used for finished vehicle product transportation.
Derince is one of the few ports with railway connection in that area, and has the longest rail network within the port.[5] Two rail ferry services use Derince Port, Tekirdağ-Derince operated by TCDD and Derince-Chornomorsk/Poti operated by Bati Wagon.
The port is in the privatization list of Privatization Administration.[6] The privatization process had restarted in October 2013.[7] Six companies had offered for Derince Port, but the tender process was cancelled when none of them continued in the public auction.[8]
History
editDerince is a relatively modern settlement located on the northern shore of the Gulf of İzmit in Kocaeli Province. Its development is closely tied to the construction of Derince Port, which shaped both its population growth and urban identity.[9]
The origins of Derince as a settlement date back to the late Ottoman period when, in 1890, authorities searched for a suitable deep-water location in the Gulf of İzmit to construct a port. The site of present-day Derince was selected because it had the deepest coastal waters in the area. As a result, the port project began under German supervision, and the area became known as “Derince Port,” referring to its depth. The name “Derince” itself is derived from the Turkish word derin (deep), reflecting this geographic characteristic.[10]
The port officially became operational in 1904, and its construction attracted large numbers of workers from different regions of the Ottoman Empire. Many of these workers settled permanently in the area, forming the first organized residential community. Over time, Derince also received migration from the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Crimea, which contributed to its demographic and cultural diversity.
During the early Republican period, Derince continued to grow as a settlement connected administratively to nearby rural areas. In 1936, settlement policies led to the allocation of land for immigrant families arriving from Romania, further increasing the population. By 1952, Derince was recognized as an independent administrative unit (muhtarlık), marking an important step in its urban development.
In 1999, Derince was officially declared a district of Kocaeli Province, reflecting its transformation from a port-centered settlement into a fully structured urban district. Today, Derince remains an important logistics and industrial hub due to its strategic port facilities and its location along key transportation routes between Istanbul and Anatolia. [11]
Composition
editThere are 17 neighbourhoods in Derince District:[12]
- Çavuşlu
- Çenedağ
- Çınarlı
- Deniz
- Dumlupınar
- Fatih Sultan
- Geredeli
- İbni Sina
- Karagöllü
- Kaşıkçı
- Mersincik
- Sırrıpaşa
- Tahtalı
- Terziler
- Toylar
- Yavuzsultan
- Yenikent
Sport
edit
The İzmit İsmetpaşa Stadium was located in Derince.
Derince Belediyespor Women's play in the Turkish Women's First Football League since the 2012–13 season. They finished the 2013–14 season in the third place.[13]
Twin towns — sister cities
editDerince is twinned with:
References
edit- 1 2 "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ↑ Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ↑ "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ↑ "Derince Port". TCDD. Archived from the original on 2013-05-24.
- ↑ Uysal, Onur (12 Feb 2014). "Railway Connected Ports of Turkey". Rail Turkey.
- ↑ "Derince Port". Turkish Privatization Agency.
- ↑ Uysal, Onur (7 October 2013). "Derince Port to be Privatized". Rail Turkey.
- ↑ Uysal, Onur (20 January 2014). "Who Will Operate Derince Port". Rail Turkey.
- ↑ "Derince" (in Turkish). Kocaeli Valiliği. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ "Tarihçe" (in Turkish). Derince İlçe Millî Eğitim Müdürlüğü. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ "Derince" (in Turkish). Kocaeli İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ↑ "Kadın Ligleri - 1. Lig Fikstür Puan Cetveli" (in Turkish). Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
External links
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