15.06.2026 09:30
Turkey is preparing for a historic change in its administrative map. With a new regulation set to increase the number of provinces from 81 to 106, all eyes are on the Parliament. While 25 districts meeting the criteria are planned to become provinces, the presence of 'Ereğli' from both Konya and Zonguldak on the list has sparked a name crisis, and the reluctance of candidate districts to take the plate number '100' has brought about a plate debate.
The process of turning districts into provinces, which started in 1989 in Aksaray in Türkiye and continued until 1999, raising the number of provinces from 67 to 81, has gained momentum again after years. While parliamentary work is awaited for the new arrangement discussed in Ankara corridors that would increase Türkiye's number of provinces to 106, the list of 25 districts predicted to become provinces has begun to take shape.
WHAT CONDITIONS ARE REQUIRED TO BECOME A PROVINCE?
It is stated that the most important criterion on the table for determining which districts will become new provinces is "population." For a district to gain province status, it must meet the following main conditions:
- Having a population of at least 100,000,
- Being at least 30 kilometers away from the current city center,
- Level of economic development,
- Having adequate transportation and infrastructure facilities.
HERE ARE THE 25 DISTRICTS PREPARING TO BECOME PROVINCES
According to studies conducted in line with these determined criteria, the 25 districts closest to becoming provinces are listed as follows:
Alanya (Antalya), Tarsus (Mersin), Çorlu (Tekirdağ), İnegöl (Bursa), Siverek (Şanlıurfa), Manavgat (Antalya), İskenderun (Hatay), Fethiye (Muğla), Akhisar (Manisa), Edremit (Balıkesir), Ereğli (Zonguldak), Erciş (Van), Bandırma (Balıkesir), Cizre (Şırnak), Nazilli (Aydın), Ereğli (Konya), Lüleburgaz (Kırklareli), Ergani (Diyarbakır), Kahta (Adıyaman), Ünye (Ordu), Kozan (Adana), Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş), Polatlı (Ankara), Midyat (Mardin) and Yüksekova (Hakkari).
NAME CHANGE ON THE AGENDA FOR TWO 'EREĞLİ'S
One of the most striking details on the list is the name "Ereğli." Among the districts preparing to become provinces are both Zonguldak's Ereğli district, with a population of 173,000, and Konya's Ereğli district, with a population of 158,000.
In order to avoid official confusion if both districts become provinces at the same time, changing the name of one of these provinces will come to the agenda. Which district's name will be changed or what formula will be applied is not yet clear.
DISTRICTS DO NOT WANT THE '100' LICENSE PLATE
On the other hand, an interesting debate has emerged regarding the license plate sequence in Türkiye with the new provinces. According to news from Sözcü; with the number of provinces rising to 106, none of the districts want to take the "100" number among the new license plate numbers to be allocated.
During the preparation of the proposal, not only the process of granting province status, but also how the license plate numbers of the new provinces will be determined and how this "100 plate" crisis will be resolved, continues to be a matter of curiosity.