The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 922 districts (ilçeler; sing. ilçe). In the Ottoman Empire and in the early Turkish Republic, the corresponding unit was the kaza.
Most provinces bear the same name as their respective provincial capital districts. However, many urban provinces, designated as greater municipalities, have a center consisting of multiple districts, such as the provincial capital of Ankara province, The City of Ankara, comprising nine separate districts. Additionally three provinces, Kocaeli, Sakarya, and Hatay have their capital district named differently from their province, as İzmit, Adapazarı, and Antakya respectively.
A district may cover both rural and urban areas. In many provinces, one district of a province is designated the central district (merkez ilçe) from which the district is administered. The central district is administered by an appointed provincial deputy governor and other non-central districts by an appointed sub-governor (kaymakam) from their district center (ilçe merkezi) municipality. In these central districts the district center municipality also serves as the provincial center municipality. Both the deputy governor and sub-governors are responsible to the province governor (vali). Greater Municipalities, however, are administered differently where a separate seat of municipality exists for the entire province, having administrative power over all districts of the province.
Local government
Municipalities (belediye) can be created in, and are subordinate to, the districts in which they are located. Each district has at least one municipality (belde) in the district center from which both the municipal government for that municipality and the district government is administered. A municipality is headed by an elected mayor (belediye başkanı) who administers the local government for defined municipal matters. More and more settlements which are outside district centers have municipalities as well, usually because their population requires one. A municipality's borders usually correspond to that of the urban settlement it covers, but may also include some undeveloped land.
Villages (köy) outside municipalities and quarters or neighborhoods (mahalle) within municipalities are the lowest level of local government, and are also the most numerous unit of local government in Turkey. They elect muhtars to care for specific administrative matters such as residence registration. The designation slightly differs (köy muhtarı for village muhtar, mahalle muhtarı for quarter muhtar) and the tasks, which are largely similar but are adapted to their locality.
Greater municipalities (büyükşehir belediyesi) exist for large cities like Istanbul and İzmir that consist of an extra administrative layer run by an elected head mayor, who oversee the municipalities and mayors within the province. Currently, 30 provinces are administered by greater municipalities in addition to having separate municipalities for every district within the province.
List of districts with population The districts and their populations (as of December 31, 2019) are listed below, by region and by province (with capital district in bold text).
Aegean region Afyonkarahisar Province (Mostly in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Afyonkarahisar Province Population: 750,193
District Population Mayor Party Afyonkarahisar (Merkez) 328,319 Burcu Köksal CHP Sandıklı 54,952 Adnan Öztaş AKP Dinar 47,326 Veysel Topçu CHP Bolvadin 45,468 Derviş Aynacı MHP Emirdağ 43,484 Serkan Koyuncu AKP Sinanpaşa 38,428 Tolga Yıldırım MHP Şuhut 35,492 Muhittin Özaşkın MHP Çay 29,459 Yaşar Kemal Kantartopu İYİ Party İhsaniye 27,904 Emine Gökçe AKP İscehisar 25,084 Seyhan Kılınçarslan AKP Çobanlar 14,403 Ali Altuntaş AKP Sultandağı 13,779 Mehmet Aldırmaz AKP Dazkırı 11,670 Fatih Çiçek AKP Başmakçı 9,208 Selçuk Gönüllü CHP Hocalar 8,395 Ali Arslan AKP Bayat 7,725 Halilibrahim Bodur AKP Evciler 7,063 Berrin Uğurlu CHP Kızılören 2,034 Ali Erol MHP
Aydın Province (Entirely in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Aydın Province Population: 1,165,943
District Population Mayor Party Efeler 308,551 Anıl Yetişkin CHP Nazilli 162,041 Ertuğrul Tetik CHP Kuşadası 137,015 Ömer Günel CHP Söke 123,850 Mustafa İberya Arıkan CHP Didim 101,474 Hatice Gençay CHP İncirliova 57,483 Aytekin Kaya AKP Çine 48,209 Mehmet Kıvrak CHP Germencik 44,677 Burak Zencirci CHP Bozdoğan 31,945 Mustafa Galip Özel CHP Köşk 28,436 Nuri Güler Independent Kuyucak 26,684 Uğur Doğanca CHP Koçarlı 22,464 Özgür Arıcı CHP Sultanhisar 20,147 Osman Yıldırımkaya Independent Karacasu 17,508 Mustafa Büyükyapıcı CHP Buharkent 13,115 Mehmet Erol AKP Yenipazar 11,834 Malik Ercan CHP Karpuzlu 10,510 Hilmi Dönmez AKP
Denizli Province (Mostly in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Denizli Province Population: 1,061,371
District Population Mayor Party Merkezefendi 345,933 Şeniz Doğan CHP Pamukkale 345,850 Ali Rıza Ertemür CHP Çivril 59,680 Semih Dere CHP Acıpayam 54,994 Levent Yıldırım Y.Refah Party Tavas 40,591 Kadir Tatık CHP Honaz 34,835 Yüksel Kepenek CHP Sarayköy 31,063 Mehmet Salih Konya CHP Buldan 26,456 Mehmet Ali Orpak CHP Kale 19,154 Erkan Hayla CHP Çal 17,546 Ahmet Hakan CHP Çameli 17,492 Cengiz Arslan AKP Serinhisar 14,591 Osman Kılıç CHP Bozkurt 11,130 Birsen Çelik CHP Güney 9,280 Mehmet Ali Eraydın CHP Çardak 8,558 Ali Altıner CHP Bekilli 6,416 Önder Demir CHP Babadağ 6,303 Murat Kumral AKP Beyağaç 6,148 Sezayi Pütün Y.Refah Party Baklan 5,351 Yusuf Gülsever AKP
İzmir Province (Entirely in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
İzmir Province Population: 4,493,242
District Population Mayor Party Buca 523,193 Görkem Duman CHP Karabağlar 473,058 Emine Helil İnay Kınay CHP Bornova 448,737 Ömer Eşki CHP Karşıyaka 341,580 Behice Yıldız Ünsal CHP Konak 322,393 Nilüfer Çınarlı Mutlu CHP Bayraklı 299,859 İrfan Önal CHP Torbalı 218,744 Övünç Demir CHP Çiğli 215,697 Onur Emrah Yıldız CHP Menemen 214,409 Aydın Pehlivan AKP Gaziemir 136,930 Ünal Işık CHP Ödemiş 132,942 Mustafa Turan CHP Kemalpaşa 120,375 Mehmet Türkmen CHP Menderes 111,453 İlkay Çiçek CHP Aliağa 108,701 Serkan Acar MHP Bergama 107,347 Tanju Çelik CHP Tire 87,858 Hayati Okuroğlu CHP Urla 79,610 Selçuk Balkan CHP Balçova 76,613 Onur Yiğit CHP Narlıdere 61,732 Erman Uzun CHP Seferihisar 60,914 İsmail Yetişkin CHP Çeşme 50,828 Lal Denizli CHP Dikili 48,647 Adil Kırgöz Independent Kiraz 43,401 Nasuh Coşkun CHP Bayındır 40,054 Davut Sakarsu CHP Selçuk 38,688 Filiz Ceritoğlu Sengel CHP Güzelbahçe 38,500 Mustafa Günay CHP Foça 36,688 Saniye Fıçı CHP Kınık 28,859 Sema Bodur CHP Karaburun 13,473 İlkay Girgin Erdoğan CHP Beydağ 11,959 Şakir Başaran CHP
Kütahya Province (Mostly in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Kütahya Province Population: 571,078
District Population Mayor Party Kütahya (Merkez) 275,111 Eyüp Kahveci CHP Tavşanlı 101,130 Ali Kemal Derin Y.Refah Party Simav 60,866 Kübra Tekel Aktulun MHP Gediz 49,240 Necdet Akel MHP Emet 17,811 Mustafa Koca MHP Altıntaş 14,985 Hikmet Tunç MHP Domaniç 13,941 Engin Uysal CHP Hisarcık 10,840 Mustafa Demirtaş MHP Aslanapa 8,082 Necati Kulik AKP Çavdarhisar 5,752 Halil İbrahim Topbaş MHP Şaphane 5,701 Lütfi Mutlu CHP Pazarlar 4,816 Bilal Demirci AKP Dumlupınar 2,803 Zekeriya Yılmaz CHP
Manisa Province (Entirely in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Manisa Province Population: 1,475,353
District Population Mayor Party Yunusemre 269,160 Ferdi Zeyrek CHP Akhisar 180,509 Besim Dutlulu CHP Turgutlu 178,386 Çetin Akın CHP Şehzadeler 166,228 Gülşah Durbay CHP Salihli 165,353 Mazlum Nurlu CHP Soma 110,996 Sercan Okur CHP Alaşehir 105,776 Ahmet Öküzcüoğlu CHP Saruhanlı 57,935 Ekrem Cıllı AKP Kula 42,952 Hikmet Dönmez CHP Kırkağaç 37,718 Üstün Dönmez CHP Demirci 35,604 Erkan Kara AKP Sarıgöl 35,125 Tahsin Akdeniz CHP Gördes 25,759 İbrahim Büke CHP Selendi 18,869 Murat Daban Y.Refah Party Ahmetli 17,403 Fuat Mintaş CHP Gölmarmara 15,176 Cem Aykan CHP Köprübaşı 12,404 Fatih Taşlı CHP
Muğla Province (Mostly in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Muğla Province Population: 1,081,867 District Population Mayor Party Bodrum 203,035 Tamer Mandalinci CHP Fethiye 182,280 Alim Karaca CHP Milas 150,520 Fevzi Topuz CHP Menteşe 124,825 Gonca Köksal CHP Marmaris 96,589 Acar Ünlü CHP Seydikemer 65,861 Bayram Önder Akdenizli AKP Ortaca 57,155 Evren Tezcan CHP Dalaman 51,088 Sezer Durmuş CHP Yatağan 45,217 Mesut Günay CHP Köyceğiz 41,205 Ali Erdoğan CHP Ula 27,392 Mehmet Caner CHP Datça 25,866 Aytaç Kurt CHP Kavaklıdere 10,834 Mehmet Demir AKP
Uşak Province (Entirely in the Aegean Region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Uşak Province Population: 375,310 District Population Mayor Party Uşak (Merkez) 265,063 Özkan Yalım CHP Banaz 34,897 Zafer Arpacı Independent Eşme 34,596 Yılmaz Tozan CHP Sivaslı 19,481 Bahri Azatçam AKP Ulubey 11,650 Veli Koçlu AKP Karahallı 9,623 Ramazan Karakaya CHP
Central Anatolia region Aksaray Province (Entirely in the Central Anatolia region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Aksaray Province Population: 439,474
District Population Mayor Party Aksaray (Merkez) 324,816 Evren Dinçer AKP Ortaköy 31,287 Ahmet Koyuncu MHP Eskil 27,822 Mustafa Zavlak AKP Gülağaç 19,382 Doğan Başbuğ MHP Sultanhanı 12,749 Fahri Solak AKP Güzelyurt 10,782 Hazim Turan AKP Ağaçören 7,628 Kemal Salman AKP Sarıyahşi 5,008 Doğan Mutlu MHP
Ankara Province (Mostly in the Central Anatolia region)
The following population data is based on the 2024 census. The list is sorted from highest to lowest population. According to the results of the local elections of March 31, 2024, mayors are listed with their parties.
Ankara Province Population: 5,864,049