View source for Tunceli

{{Short description|Municipality in Tunceli Province, Turkey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox Turkey place
|type=municipality| name                            = Tunceli
|province=Tunceli|district=Tunceli| image_skyline                   = Dêrsim.jpg
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = Tunceli in Munzur valley
| coordinates                     = {{coord|39|06|23|N|39|32|50|E|region:TR_type:city|display=it}}
| elevation_m                     = 914
| leader_name                     = [[Cevdet Konak]] ([[Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party|DEM Party]]) (elect-mayor) (deposed)<br>Ertuğrul Aslan ''(acting)''<br>(trustee)
|population_total=35161|population_as_of=2021
| leader_party                    = 
| leader_title                    = Mayor
| website                         = {{URL| www.tunceli.bel.tr  }}
}}

'''Tunceli''' ({{Langx|hy|Մամիկի|translit=Mamiki}}; {{langx|ku-Latn|Kalan}}; {{Langx|diq|Mamekiye}})<ref>{{cite book |author1=Avcıkıran |first=Adem |url= |title=Kürtçe Anamnez Anamneza bi Kurmancî |year=2009 |page=55 |language=tr, ku |access-date=}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last1=Andrews |first1=Peter |title=Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey: Supplement and Index |last2=Benninghaus |first2=Rüdiger |year=2002 |isbn=9783895002298 |page=54}}</ref> is a municipality ([[belde]]) in [[Tunceli District]] and capital of [[Tunceli Province]], [[Turkey]]. The city has a [[Zazas|Zaza]] majority.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Sertel|first=Savaş|date=2016-01-31|title=TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ'NİN İLK GENEL NÜFUS SAYIMINA GÖRE DERSİM BÖLGESİNDE DEMOGRAFİK YAPI|url=http://dergipark.gov.tr/doi/10.18069/fusbed.82073|journal=Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi|volume=24|issue=1|doi=10.18069/fusbed.82073|issn=1300-9702|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Eke|first=Deniz Cosan|title=The Changing Leadership Roles of »Dedes« in the Alevi Movement: Ethnographic Studies on Alevi Associations in Turkey and Germany from the 1990s to the Present|publisher=transcript Verlag|year=2021|pages=64}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gültekin|first=Ahmet Kerim|url=https://www.multiple-secularities.de/media/wps_18_gueltekin_alevikurds.pdf|title=Kurdish Alevism: Creating New Ways of Practicing the Religion|date=2019|publisher=[[University of Leipzig]]|page=4}}</ref> It had a population of 35,161 in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2021 |url=https://www.tuik.gov.tr/indir/duyuru/favori_raporlar.xlsx |access-date=30 January 2023 |publisher=[[TÜİK]] |language=tr |format=XLS}}</ref>

==Name==
{{Main|Tunceli Province#Name}}
During Ottoman times, the settlement was called ''Kalan'' or ''Mameki''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Tunceli |url=https://nisanyanmap.com/?yer=36508&haritasi=tunceli |access-date=1 February 2023 |website=nisanyanmap.com |language=tr}}</ref> Tunceli, which is a modern name, literally means "bronze fist" in Turkish (''tunç'' meaning "bronze" and ''eli'', in this context, meaning "fist"). It shares the name with the military operation under which the [[Dersim rebellion|Dersim massacre]] was conducted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Massacre in Dersim Still Haunts Kurds in Turkey |url=https://jacobin.com/2021/01/massacre-dersim-turkey-kurds-erdogan |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=jacobin.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The province of Dersim (or Dêrsim) was renamed Tunceli in 1935, as was the settlement of Kalan, which became the province's administrative center in 1938.<ref name=":1" /> Dersim is popularly understood to be composed of the Kurdish/Zazaki words ''der'' ("door") and ''sim'' ("silver"), thus meaning "silver door."  Whether the town should be called Dersim or Tunceli has been a cause of political quarrels. In May 2019, the local authorities decided to call it Dersim, while the governor said it was against the law to call it Dersim.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ahvalnews.com/turkification/short-history-turkification-dersim-tunceli|title=A short history of Turkification: From Dersim to Tunceli|website=Ahval|language=en|access-date=2020-01-20}}</ref>

==History==

During the time of the [[Ottoman Empire]], Tunceli (then known as Kalan) was a part of the region named ''Dersim''. In 1847, Dersim was declared a [[sanjak]] (a historical administrative unit smaller than the province). The capital of the sanjak was [[Hozat]]. During the Republican period, Tunceli Province was established in 1935. In 1946, the former town of Kalan was renamed as Tunceli and it was declared as the capital city of the province.<ref>[http://www.tunceli.gov.tr/page.asp?id=49 Tunceli governor's page on history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928174549/http://www.tunceli.gov.tr/page.asp?id=49 |date=2013-09-28 }} {{in lang|tr}}</ref>

As a result of the Turkish campaign of "[[Turkification]]" Tunceli became a main target of Turkish officials after the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Tunceli played a role in the [[Dersim rebellion]] by the [[Kurds]].<ref>İsmail Besikçi, ''Tunceli Kanunu (1935) ve Dersim Jenosidi'', Belge Yayınları, 1990.</ref>{{page needed|date=May 2024}}

Tunceli is famous for excellent rankings in National Education statistics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnnturk.com/turkiye/egitim-siralamasinda-tunceli-birinci|title = Eğitim sıralamasında Tunceli birinci}}</ref>

== Politics ==
In the Municipal Elections which took place on 31st of March 2019, [[Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu]] was elected Mayor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/secim2019/tunceli|title=Tunceli Seçim Sonuçları: 31 Mart 2019 Tunceli Yerel Seçim Sonuçları|website=Sözcü|language=tr|access-date=2020-01-20}}</ref> He is the first mayor of Tunceli from the [[Communist Party of Turkey (modern)|Communist Party of Turkey]].

In 2018, Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] stated that if "those involved with terrorism" (referring to the [[Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey)|HDP]] party<ref>{{Cite web|title=Turkey: HDP official accused of aiding PKK terrorist|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-hdp-official-accused-of-aiding-pkk-terrorist/1670891|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.aa.com.tr}}</ref>) were to win the elections, that his government would "appoint trustees without delay".<ref>{{Cite web|last=SCF|date=2018-10-08|title=Turkey's Erdoğan vows re-seizure of municipalities should pro-Kurdish HDP win local elections|url=https://stockholmcf.org/turkeys-erdogan-vows-re-seizure-of-municipalities-should-hdp-win-local-elections/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Stockholm Center for Freedom|language=en-US}}</ref>

In May 2019 the Municipal Council decided to use the city's historic name Dersim and also to offer municipal services in [[Zaza language|Zazaki]] and [[Kurmanji]]. 4 Members of the newly elected municipal council had their certificates revoked in May 2019 for having been dismissed from public office in the past.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/6e69dc09-4437-42b6-8899-815c8c9083a6|title=Kurdish city returns to original name 'Dersim,' attracts Turkish ire|last=Barwari |first=Rawa |date=2019 |website=Kurdistan24|language=en|access-date=2025-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523215612/https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/6e69dc09-4437-42b6-8899-815c8c9083a6 |archive-date=23 May 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Economy==
The main economic activity is animal breeding. Wheat is the only notable agricultural product. There are chromium, salt and marble deposits, but only salt is produced. There are a few factories based on agriculture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cografya.gen.tr/tr/tunceli/ekonomi.html|title=TUNCELİ - Ekonomik Faaliyetler|website=www.cografya.gen.tr}}</ref>

==Climate==
Tunceli has a [[continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dsa,'' [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dc'') with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.

{{Weather box 
|metric first= Yes 
|single line= Yes 
|location= Tunceli (1991–2020, extremes 1960–2025)
| Jan record high C = 14.2
| Feb record high C = 19.4
| Mar record high C = 26.0
| Apr record high C = 32.2
| May record high C = 36.6
| Jun record high C = 39.0
| Jul record high C = 43.5
| Aug record high C = 43.5
| Sep record high C = 40.4
| Oct record high C = 35.6
| Nov record high C = 27.0
| Dec record high C = 21.7
| year record high C = 43.5
| Jan high C = 3.8
| Feb high C = 5.8
| Mar high C = 12.1
| Apr high C = 18.5
| May high C = 24.3
| Jun high C = 30.7
| Jul high C = 35.5
| Aug high C = 36.0
| Sep high C = 30.8
| Oct high C = 23.2
| Nov high C = 13.9
| Dec high C = 6.0
| year high C = 20.1
| Jan mean C = -1.0
| Feb mean C = 0.6
| Mar mean C = 6.4
| Apr mean C = 12.1
| May mean C = 17.0
| Jun mean C = 22.8
| Jul mean C = 27.3
| Aug mean C = 27.4
| Sep mean C = 21.9
| Oct mean C = 15.2
| Nov mean C = 7.0
| Dec mean C = 1.3
| year mean C = 13.2
| Jan low C = -4.6
| Feb low C = -3.4
| Mar low C = 1.5
| Apr low C = 6.3
| May low C = 10.2
| Jun low C = 14.7
| Jul low C = 19.1
| Aug low C = 19.0
| Sep low C = 13.5
| Oct low C = 8.6
| Nov low C = 1.9
| Dec low C = -2.1
| year low C = 7.1
| Jan record low C = -30.3
| Feb record low C = -29.0
| Mar record low C = -24.7
| Apr record low C = -7.1
| May record low C = -0.1
| Jun record low C = 1.0
| Jul record low C = 9.2
| Aug record low C = 7.7
| Sep record low C = 2.6
| Oct record low C = -4.0
| Nov record low C = -16.4
| Dec record low C = -25.6
| year record low C = -30.3
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 121.0
| Feb precipitation mm = 103.7
| Mar precipitation mm = 110.1
| Apr precipitation mm = 100.1
| May precipitation mm = 73.8
| Jun precipitation mm = 16.6
| Jul precipitation mm = 5.0
| Aug precipitation mm = 5.0
| Sep precipitation mm = 23.5
| Oct precipitation mm = 60.4
| Nov precipitation mm = 86.5
| Dec precipitation mm = 120.9
| year precipitation mm = 826.6
| Jan precipitation days = 11.50
| Feb precipitation days = 10.83
| Mar precipitation days = 14.07
| Apr precipitation days = 15.10
| May precipitation days = 13.60
| Jun precipitation days = 5.27
| Jul precipitation days = 2.40
| Aug precipitation days = 1.77
| Sep precipitation days = 3.83
| Oct precipitation days = 9.03
| Nov precipitation days = 8.83
| Dec precipitation days = 11.50
| year precipitation days = 107.7
| Jan snow days  =7.7
| Feb snow days  =3.7
| Mar snow days  =1.9
| Apr snow days  =0.2
| May snow days  =0
| Jun snow days  =0
| Jul snow days  =0
| Aug snow days  =0
| Sep snow days  =0
| Oct snow days  =0
| Nov snow days  =0.5
| Dec snow days  =3.5
| year snow days =
| Jan humidity = 74.7
| Feb humidity = 71.3
| Mar humidity = 63.2
| Apr humidity = 59.7
| May humidity = 58.6
| Jun humidity = 46.9
| Jul humidity = 38.6
| Aug humidity = 36.3
| Sep humidity = 42.4
| Oct humidity = 58.7
| Nov humidity = 69.4
| Dec humidity = 75.9
| year humidity = 57.9
| Jan sun = 102.6
| Feb sun = 116.4
| Mar sun = 162.2
| Apr sun = 193.6
| May sun = 257.3
| Jun sun = 323.9
| Jul sun = 356.8
| Aug sun = 332.3
| Sep sun = 275.5
| Oct sun = 208.3
| Nov sun = 152.0
| Dec sun = 96.0
| year sun = 2576.7
| Jand sun = 3.3
| Febd sun = 4.2
| Mard sun = 5.3
| Aprd sun = 6.5
| Mayd sun = 8.3
| Jund sun = 10.8
| Juld sun = 11.5
| Augd sun = 10.7
| Sepd sun = 9.2
| Octd sun = 6.7
| Novd sun = 5.1
| Decd sun = 3.1
| yeard sun = 7.1 
|source 1 = [[Turkish State Meteorological Service]]<ref name ="TSMS">{{cite web
| url = https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=H&m=TUNCELI
| title = Resmi İstatistikler: İllerimize Ait Mevism Normalleri (1991–2020)
| publisher = Turkish State Meteorological Service
| language = tr
| access-date = 7 August 2021}}</ref>
 | source 2 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] (humidity, sun 1991-2020),<ref name="WMONormals">{{cite web
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Turkiye/CSV/Tunceli_17165.csv
|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Tunceli
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = January 17, 2024}}</ref> Meteomanz(snowy days 2014-2023, extremes 2021-present)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=6290&ind=17165&m1=01&y1=2000&m2=12&y2=2023
| title = Tunceli - Weather data by months |website=Meteomanz | access-date =12 July 2024}}</ref>
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Geography|Kurdistan|Turkey}}
*[[Munzur Valley National Park]]
*[[Seyid Riza]]
*[[Sophene]]

==Further reading==
*{{TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi|url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/tunceli|title=TUNCELİ}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Tunceli District}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tunceli]]
[[Category:Provincial municipalities in Turkey]]
[[Category:Turkish Kurdistan]]
[[Category:Populated places in Tunceli Province]]
[[Category:Kurdish settlements in Tunceli Province]]