Keçiören is a municipality and metropolitan district of Ankara Province, Turkey.[2] Its area is 159 km2,[3] and its population is 939,279 (2022).[1] It is a crowded district in the northern part of the city of Ankara. Its elevation is 950 m (3,117 ft). The Çubuk River runs through the middle of the district.

Keçiören
A view of FTZ Shopping Mall in Keçiören
A view of FTZ Shopping Mall in Keçiören
Map showing Keçiören District in Ankara Province
Map showing Keçiören District in Ankara Province
Keçiören is located in Turkey
Keçiören
Keçiören
Location in Turkey
Keçiören is located in Turkey Central Anatolia
Keçiören
Keçiören
Keçiören (Turkey Central Anatolia)
Coordinates: 40°00′N 32°52′E / 40.000°N 32.867°E / 40.000; 32.867
CountryTurkey
ProvinceAnkara
Government
 • MayorMesut Özarslan (CHP)
Area
159 km2 (61 sq mi)
Elevation
950 m (3,120 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
939,279
 • Density5,900/km2 (15,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (TRT)
Postal code
06310
Area code0312
Websitewww.kecioren.bel.tr
A view of the Gökçek Park

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
2007843,535—    
2012840,809−0.06%
2017917,759+1.77%
2022939,279+0.46%
Source: TÜIK (2007-2022)[1]

Composition

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There are 51 neighbourhoods in Keçiören District:[4]

  • 19 Mayıs
  • 23 Nisan
  • Adnan Menderes
  • Aktepe
  • Aşağı Eğlence
  • Atapark
  • Ayvalı
  • Bademlik
  • Bağlarbaşı
  • Bağlum Güzelyurt
  • Basınevleri
  • Çaldıran
  • Çalseki
  • Çiçekli
  • Emrah
  • Esertepe
  • Etlik
  • Güçlükaya
  • Gümüşdere
  • Güzelyurt
  • Hasköy
  • Hisar
  • İncirli
  • Kafkas
  • Kalaba
  • Kamil Ocak
  • Kanuni
  • Karakaya
  • Karargahtepe
  • Karşıyaka
  • Kavacık Subayevleri
  • Köşk
  • Kösrelik
  • Kuşcağız
  • Osmangazi
  • Ovacık
  • Pınarbaşı
  • Sancaktepe
  • Sarıbeyler
  • Şefkat
  • Şehit Kubilay
  • Şenlik
  • Şenyuva
  • Tepebaşı
  • Ufuktepe
  • Uyanış
  • Yakacık
  • Yayla
  • Yeşilöz
  • Yeşiltepe
  • Yükseltepe

Etymology

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From Kiçivirân or Kiçiören (small ruins). The first part is unrelated to keçi (goat}, but rather a dissimilation of older *kiçi (“small”), from Proto-Turkic *kičüg.[5]

Politics

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Until the 1950s this was a green and pleasant area outside the city, but in recent years has become a large district of housing for Ankara's working class. The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has his Ankara residence within the district. The incumbent mayor of Keçiören is Mesut Özarslan of the secular main opposition Republican People’s Party.[6]

In August 2018, the Municipality decided not to issue business licenses to American brands including McDonald's, Starbucks and Burger King as a response to the U.S. sanctions on Turkey.[7]

In 2024, the municipal council unanimously decided to ban all the signs in foreign languages and require the usage of exclusively Turkish, with the exception of business branding.[8]

Sports

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The sports club Keçiörengücü is based in Keçiören.

Prominent neighbourhoods

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Places of interest

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Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's headquarters during the Turkish War of Independence, today used by the department of meteorology

The current administration has made efforts to decorate the mass of dull concrete that the area mainly consists of. The new buildings include a huge artificial waterfall and many other pools and fountains, and a concrete replica of the Hungarian Esztergom Castle.

Keçiören has a two-station aerial lift, the Keçiören Gondola, which connects the neighborhoods Tepebaşı (Cumhuriyet station) and Kavacık Subayevleri (Atatürk station). As of November 2013, it is the only in Ankara and Turkey's longest urban gondola lift line with its length of 1,653 m (5,423 ft).[9][10]

Keçiören children's games

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To many Turkish people the name Keçiören evokes a popular children's TV outdoor game show (similar to the British It's a Knockout) of the 1980s, which was recorded in the district.[citation needed]

Twin towns – sister cities

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The following places are sister cities to Keçiören:

Mayors of Government Keçiören Municipality

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Population Of SRE-1, SRE-2, Provinces and Districts". TÜIK. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  2. ^ Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  3. ^ "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  4. ^ Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Nişanyan Yeradları - Türkiye ve Çevre Ülkeler Yerleşim Birimleri Envanteri".
  6. ^ "Son Dakika! Keçiören Seçim Sonuçları! - 31 Mart 2019 ilçe ilçe yerel seçim sonuçları – NTV". www.ntv.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  7. ^ Municipality in Turkish capital Ankara stops issuing licenses to major US food brands
  8. ^ "Capital district bans signs in foreign languages". 3 May 2024. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Teleferik Hakkında" (in Turkish). Keçiören Belediyesi Teleferik Tesisleri. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  10. ^ "Şirket Profili" (in Turkish). Keçiören Belediyesi Teleferik Tesisleri. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
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