CHP Kahramanmaraş Deputy Ali Öztunç has submitted a legislative proposal he prepared to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) for the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş to become a province.
The proposal envisions that if Elbistan is made a province, the districts of Afşin, Nurhak, Ekinözü, and Göksun will also be attached to the newly established province of Elbistan. In Öztunç's justification, it was stated that with this arrangement, the population of the new province would reach 282,876.
The justification stated that Elbistan is the largest district attached to Kahramanmaraş and is located at the intersection of the Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, and Eastern Anatolia regions. According to 2025 TÜİK data, it was noted that the district's population decreased from 142,000 to 132,036 following the February 6 earthquakes.
Öztunç also drew attention to the historical and economic importance of Elbistan. It was emphasized that the district served as the capital of the Dulkadiroğlu Beylik, possesses Turkey's fourth-largest plain, and stands out with its energy investments in addition to agriculture and agriculture-based trade.
In the justification for the proposal, it was argued that Elbistan being 169 kilometers away from the Kahramanmaraş provincial center creates problems in accessing public services. It was stated that the district suffered major damage in the February 6 earthquakes and that there were disruptions in some services due to the distance from the center.
"Elbistan is an important historical, economic, cultural, and geographical center of attraction where major investments are planned. Elbistan, which embodies many criteria on the path to becoming a province, should be made a province."
The justification further stated that making Elbistan a province would contribute to the socioeconomic development of Nurhak, Ekinözü, Göksun, and some districts in surrounding provinces.
BAHÇELİ'S 100 PROVINCES, 1000 DISTRICTS PROPOSAL
MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli had brought the "100 provinces, 1000 districts" proposal to the agenda as part of the reorganization of Turkey's administrative structure. The proposal, which envisions increasing the current 81 provinces to 100 and the 922 districts to 1000, aims to establish 19 new provinces.
Bahçeli had brought his proposal to the agenda within the scope of the 100th anniversary of the Republic, stating that the work aimed at increasing the number of provinces and districts would contribute to Turkey's administrative structure. No finalized list regarding which districts would attain provincial status was announced in the proposal.
News Source: 12punto
