Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
PLANLAMA-PLANNING, cilt.25, sa.2, ss.134-146, 2015 (ESCI)
The primary aim of the present paper was to identify the urban dimension of rural Turkey. The main thesis is that urban factors, particularly in certain regions, have undeniable importance in recent rural developments. To that end, the great importance of urban possibilities in both the continuity of agricultural activities and the adaptation of the agricultural sector to new conditions is emphasized, supported by findings of a case study conducted in Erdemli. To identify the role of urban constituents in sustaining rural life, the transformation of the agricultural sector in Turkey since the 1980s is briefly described, followed by a discussion of the different courses this transformation has taken in rural settlements such as Erdemli. The primary hypothesis is that an agglomeration of the rural population in the coastal zone, caused by proliferation of agricultural activities based on labor-intensive work and family-run management, including citrus and early vegetable production in the coastal zone of 0-300-meter altitude in the 1940s, was urbanized as these settlements integrated with the Cukurova city-region. The secondary hypothesis is that non-agricultural urban possibilities have played an important role in the continuation of agricultural activities in Erdemli.