Aliağa
Aliağa is a district and municipality in İzmir Province, western Turkey, covering 387 km² on the northeastern shore of the Gulf of İzmir along the Aegean Sea, with a population of 106,168 as of 2023.[1] Once a modest fishing village and agricultural settlement in the mid-20th century, Aliağa underwent rapid industrialization after the 1960s, designated as a heavy industry zone in the 1970s that attracted major facilities like the Petkim petrochemical complex, TÜPRAŞ oil refinery, and SOCAR operations, transforming its economy from farming to manufacturing and energy production.[2][3] The district hosts one of the world's prominent shipbreaking hubs, dismantling about 2.8% of global ships by number and 1.1% by tonnage annually, which has driven economic growth but also generated significant environmental challenges including heavy metal contamination in coastal sediments from unmanaged shipbreaking, steelworks, and petrochemical activities.[4][5] Recent legal efforts by civil society groups seek to enforce environmental impact assessments on these facilities, previously exempted, amid reports of ongoing air, soil, and water pollution.[6]Geography and Location
Physical Features
Aliağa occupies a coastal position on the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea, situated approximately 50 kilometers north of İzmir. The district's geography includes a sheltered bay formed by the indentation of the coastline, providing deep-water access conducive to maritime functions.[7][3] The terrain features a mix of coastal plains, low hills, and adjacent mountains, with notable elevations such as Karahasan Mountain reaching 423 meters and the town center at about 2 meters above sea level. District-wide average elevations approximate 114 meters, offering expansive flatlands alongside undulating rises that facilitate both coastal and inland extensions.[8][3] Aliağa has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa), marked by hot, arid summers and long, cold, wet winters. Annual average temperatures hover around 16.5°C, with precipitation concentrated in the cooler months, contributing to lush vegetation across seasons despite the varied topography.[8][9]Administrative and Urban Layout
Aliağa serves as a district of İzmir Province, elevated to this administrative status on 14 January 1982 through Law No. 2371, which separated it from the former Menemen District.[3][10] The district is governed by a kaymakam appointed by the Ministry of Interior, responsible for central administration, while the Aliağa Municipality, established earlier in 1952, handles local urban affairs including zoning and services in the central town.[10] This structure encompasses the urban core of Aliağa town and adjacent townships such as Çakmaklı and Zeytinalanı, with administrative boundaries designed to accommodate both residential expansion and industrial designation.[3] The district's urban layout reflects its evolution into a planned industrial hub, with zoning policies segregating heavy industry from populated areas. Designated as a heavy industry zone in 1961 under Turkey's First Five-Year Industrial Plan to foster sectors like iron, steel, and petrochemicals, Aliağa features concentrated industrial facilities along the coastal strip of the Gulf of İzmir.[3][11] The Aliağa Organized Industrial Zone (ALOSBİ), formalized in 1997 without initial state credit, spans dedicated land for over 140 enterprises, enforcing infrastructure standards and environmental controls to cluster operations away from residential neighborhoods.[2][12] Residential development is primarily oriented inland and eastward from the industrial waterfront, where shipyards, refineries, and petrochemical plants dominate, creating a deliberate spatial divide to limit direct exposure to emissions and operations.[3] Urban planning documents emphasize buffer zones and green corridors between these sectors, though implementation has faced challenges from rapid industrialization since the 1960s, prioritizing economic zoning over expansive suburban growth.[13]