# Derik, Turkey

Derik (Kurdish: Dêrîka Çiyayê Mazî) is a municipality and district of Mardin Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,381 km$^2$, and its population is 62,028 (2022).

## Government

In the local elections of April 10 Mülkiye Esmez from the Peoples' Democratic Party was elected mayor. But on 15 November 2019 she was detained and a day later dismissed from her post as mayor and the District Governor Hakan Kafkas was appointed as trustee instead.

## History

The town is first mentioned in the late 14th century, however a Roman fort indicates that the area has been inhabited for longer. Prior to the Assyrian and Armenian genocide, Assyrians and Armenians formed the majority in the district. The Armenian population of the county continued to form the majority even up until the 1930s, when systematic state persecution forced many to emigrate. One family continues to live here, and they maintain the old Armenian Church. The Armenian Apostolic Church in Derik is only one out of six in Anatolian Turkey that operates as a church.
Today Kurds and Turks live in Derik.

## Geography

Geographically the town includes areas from Mazıdağı foot descending towards Ceylanpınar plains. Town area descends from the north to the south. The city center is surrounded by mountains from 3 sides and has a temperate climate with some mediterranean climate effects.

## Composition

There are 80 neighbourhoods in Derik District:
* Adak (Simaqî)
* Adakent (Çildiz)
* Ahmetli (Qizil)
* Akçay (Çemê Qentir)
* Akıncılar (Tirbamamo)
* Alagöz (Talbeş)
* Alanlı (Enterî)
* Alibey (Elîbeg)
* Ambarlı (Heboşî)
* Aşağımezraa (Mezra Newalê)
* Atlı (Qesra Qenco)
* Aydınlar (Kasan)
* Bağarası
* Bahçelievler
* Ballı (Zorava)
* Balova (Balfis)
* Başaran (Misrik)
* Bayırköy (Qizileyşan)
* Bayraklı (Girêsor)
* Beşbudak (Qibilme)
* Böğrek (Beyrok)
* Boyaklı (Qizil)
* Bozbayır (Mansûrî)
* Bozok (Meşkina)
* Burçköy (Birc)
* Çadırlı (Şabana)
* Çağıl (Qubil Çagil)
* Çataltepe (Erbetê)
* Çayköy (Şêba jêr)
* Cevizpınar
* Çukursu (Xanuk)
* Dağ
* Demirli (Demirlê)
* Denktaş (Xêdûk)
* Derinsu (Bixur)
* Dikmen (Kanîzil)
* Doğancı (Bizdoxan)
* Dumanlı (Xirar)
* Dumluca (Sîpnat)
* Düztaş (Tahtik)
* Göktaş (Kevirşîn)
* Gölbaşı (Bedrasê)
* Hayırlı (Mizgewr)
* Hisaraltı (Rebet)
* Ilıca (Germik)
* İncesu (Maşmaşk)
* Issız (Hedbê)
* Kale
* Kanatlı (Heyal)
* Karaburun (Xirbêreş)
* Karataş (Kufirlê)
* Kayacık (Mixat)
* Kocatepe (Dêşî)
* Koçyiğit (Rewşet)
* Konak (Elaska)
* Konuk (Remok)
* Köseveli (Kosewelî)
* Kovalı (Endewl)
* Kovanlı (Xirbê Heriyê)
* Küçükpınar
* Kuruçay (Zemberor)
* Kuşçu (Garsarinc)
* Kutluca (Warga Xensê)
* Kuyulu (Selmê)
* Meşeli (Xerabreşk)
* Ortaca (Reqaqî)
* Pınarcık (Fitnê)
* Pirinçli (Ketu)
* Şahverdi (Şawerdî)
* Şerefli (Şîrîfbaba)
* Soğukkuyu (Şaweled)
* Söğütözü (Qetaro)
* Subaşı (Zok)
* Taşıt (Taşît)
* Tepebağ (Tilbisim)
* Üçkuyu (Bira)
* Üçtepe (Belotî)
* Yazıcık (Koderê)
* Yukarımezraa (Mezra Suravêrkê)
* Zeytinpınar

## Demographics

Mother tongue, Derik District, 1927 Turkish census :
| Turkish | Arabic | Kurdish | Circassian | Armenian | Unknown or other languages |
| 254 | 72 | 14,694 | – | 17 | – |
Religion, Derik District, 1927 Turkish census :
| Muslim | Christian | Jewish | Other and Undeclared |
| 14,949 | 74 | – | 41 |

## Notable natives

* Qedrîcan (1911-1972), Kurdish poet, writer and translator
* Ahmet Türk (* 1942), politician
* Bülent Tekin (* 1952), Kurdish poet and writer
* Firat Cewerî (* 1959), writer, translator and journalist
* Enwer Karahan (* 1962), Kurdish writer
* Leyla Birlik (* 1972), Kurdish politician
* Mülkiye Esmez (* 1975), politician
* Mem Ararat (* 1981), musical artist
* Sultan Kösen (* 1982), tallest living human
* Hacı Lokman Birlik (*1988), murdered by Turkish security forces
* Civar Çetin (* 1992), footballer