Historical and Geographical Reflections of A Border: Case Study of Kilis

Meral Kuzgun; Ömer Faruk İncili

Makale detayları

Historical and Geographical Reflections of A Border: Case Study of Kilis

Yazarlar:

Meral Kuzgun | Ömer Faruk İncili

Yayıncı:

Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Dergi:

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.11 Issue 34, pp.390-421

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

2/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001285139

pISSN:

2147-2610

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Borders are the lines that separate different authorities from each other and are indicated with fine contours on maps. The border between Turkey and Syria was drawn in accordance with the Treaty of Ankara dated 20 October 1921, signed with the French after the War of Independence. The study area that makes up a part of the border drawn by this treaty was shaped by gaining a border identity. This induced a process of alteration and transformation in the relative location of the region. This study is intended to discuss the alterations and transformations in Kilis caused by the border, based on historical instruments and documents. The structure, which changed and transformed with the drawing of the border, required the review of historical and geographical codes. While historical processes make up the case-oriented aspect of the border change, geographical processes constitute the space-oriented aspect. The questions used in the research under this study are; How was the border drawn in the historical process?, Is the drawn border a physical border?, How did the border have a transformative effect on the functional structure of Kilis?, What is the extent of the population and spatial loss in Kilis caused by the border?, and Is the border a corridor of opportunity for Kilis? To find the answers to these questions in line with the objective of the study, a set of tools were leveraged, including the literature review on the study area and subject, the document analysis technique allowed by access to the archived documents and newspapers, and the descriptive analysis technique using tables, maps and charts developed based on secondary data related to the field. The secondary data used in the study are the daily archives of Kilis newspaper archive, the Presidential Republic Archive, the Minutes of Secret Sessions at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Minutes of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the General Population Census and ABPRS Address Based Population Registry System data at DIE State Institute of StatisticsTUIK Turkish Statistical Institute, Aleppo Provincial Yearbooks, and 1:200,000-scale Kilis-Aleppo-Manbij Topographic Maps. The findings of secondary data suggest four critical results: First, the Kilis part of the Turkish-Syrian border is an entirely political order that includes no physical components. Therefore, the border drawn is a feature that divides a geography and is considered peculiar by people. Secondly, the border drawn resulted in the loss of function by separating Kilis, which is located at the transportation hub, from Aleppo. Thirdly, the border caused 23 of Kilis to remain on the Syrian side. This induced both spatial and population loss. Fourthly, the border is a structure with a larger number of adverse impacts on Kilis considering its negative and positive aspects. Consequently, historical and political conflicts, land disputes, loss of economic function, migration, security concerns, mined areas, irregular migration route, and illegal structures, which all arise from the border in Kilis, account for undesirable negative aspects of the border. Therefore, the border turned into the fate of Kilis. While the border in Kilis denotes fear, threat and formality, it also provided the means of livelihood for a part of the community due to the illegal border trade that cannot be waived.

 Borders are the lines that separate different authorities from each other and are indicated with fine contours on maps. The border between Turkey and Syria was drawn in accordance with the Treaty of Ankara dated 20 October 1921, signed with the French after the War of Independence. The study area that makes up a part of the border drawn by this treaty was shaped by gaining a border identity. This induced a process of alteration and transformation in the relative location of the region. This study is intended to discuss the alterations and transformations in Kilis caused by the border, based on historical instruments and documents. The structure, which changed and transformed with the drawing of the border, required the review of historical and geographical codes. While historical processes make up the case-oriented aspect of the border change, geographical processes constitute the space-oriented aspect. The questions used in the research under this study are; How was the border drawn in the historical process?, Is the drawn border a physical border?, How did the border have a transformative effect on the functional structure of Kilis?, What is the extent of the population and spatial loss in Kilis caused by the border?, and Is the border a corridor of opportunity for Kilis? To find the answers to these questions in line with the objective of the study, a set of tools were leveraged, including the literature review on the study area and subject, the document analysis technique allowed by access to the archived documents and newspapers, and the descriptive analysis technique using tables, maps and charts developed based on secondary data related to the field. The secondary data used in the study are the daily archives of Kilis newspaper archive, the Presidential Republic Archive, the Minutes of Secret Sessions at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Minutes of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the General Population Census and ABPRS Address Based Population Registry System data at DIE State Institute of StatisticsTUIK Turkish Statistical Institute, Aleppo Provincial Yearbooks, and 1:200,000-scale Kilis-Aleppo-Manbij Topographic Maps. The findings of secondary data suggest four critical results: First, the Kilis part of the Turkish-Syrian border is an entirely political order that includes no physical components. Therefore, the border drawn is a feature that divides a geography and is considered peculiar by people. Secondly, the border drawn resulted in the loss of function by separating Kilis, which is located at the transportation hub, from Aleppo. Thirdly, the border caused 23 of Kilis to remain on the Syrian side. This induced both spatial and population loss. Fourthly, the border is a structure with a larger number of adverse impacts on Kilis considering its negative and positive aspects. Consequently, historical and political conflicts, land disputes, loss of economic function, migration, security concerns, mined areas, irregular migration route, and illegal structures, which all arise from the border in Kilis, account for undesirable negative aspects of the border. Therefore, the border turned into the fate of Kilis. While the border in Kilis denotes fear, threat and formality, it also provided the means of livelihood for a part of the community due to the illegal border trade that cannot be waived.

 Borders are the lines that separate different authorities from each other and are indicated with fine contours on maps. The border between Turkey and Syria was drawn in accordance with the Treaty of Ankara dated 20 October 1921, signed with the French after the War of Independence. The study area that makes up a part of the border drawn by this treaty was shaped by gaining a border identity. This induced a process of alteration and transformation in the relative location of the region. This study is intended to discuss the alterations and transformations in Kilis caused by the border, based on historical instruments and documents. The structure, which changed and transformed with the drawing of the border, required the review of historical and geographical codes. While historical processes make up the case-oriented aspect of the border change, geographical processes constitute the space-oriented aspect. The questions used in the research under this study are; How was the border drawn in the historical process?, Is the drawn border a physical border?, How did the border have a transformative effect on the functional structure of Kilis?, What is the extent of the population and spatial loss in Kilis caused by the border?, and Is the border a corridor of opportunity for Kilis? To find the answers to these questions in line with the objective of the study, a set of tools were leveraged, including the literature review on the study area and subject, the document analysis technique allowed by access to the archived documents and newspapers, and the descriptive analysis technique using tables, maps and charts developed based on secondary data related to the field. The secondary data used in the study are the daily archives of Kilis newspaper archive, the Presidential Republic Archive, the Minutes of Secret Sessions at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Minutes of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the General Population Census and ABPRS Address Based Population Registry System data at DIE State Institute of StatisticsTUIK Turkish Statistical Institute, Aleppo Provincial Yearbooks, and 1:200,000-scale Kilis-Aleppo-Manbij Topographic Maps. The findings of secondary data suggest four critical results: First, the Kilis part of the Turkish-Syrian border is an entirely political order that includes no physical components. Therefore, the border drawn is a feature that divides a geography and is considered peculiar by people. Secondly, the border drawn resulted in the loss of function by separating Kilis, which is located at the transportation hub, from Aleppo. Thirdly, the border caused 23 of Kilis to remain on the Syrian side. This induced both spatial and population loss. Fourthly, the border is a structure with a larger number of adverse impacts on Kilis considering its negative and positive aspects. Consequently, historical and political conflicts, land disputes, loss of economic function, migration, security concerns, mined areas, irregular migration route, and illegal structures, which all arise from the border in Kilis, account for undesirable negative aspects of the border. Therefore, the border turned into the fate of Kilis. While the border in Kilis denotes fear, threat and formality, it also provided the means of livelihood for a part of the community due to the illegal border trade that cannot be waived.

 Mondros Mütarekesinin imzalanmasından sonra Osmanlı Devletine ait topraklar bir bir işgal edilmiştir. Bu işgallerden payını alan Kilis önce İngilizlerin sonrasında da Fransızların işgaline uğramıştır. Mustafa Kemal Paşanın liderliğinde Anadolunun güney topraklarında teşekkül ettirilen Kuva-yı Milliye Teşkilatı Kiliste de vücut bulmuştur. Milli Mücadele döneminde Fransızlara karşı büyük bir direnç gösteren Kilis halkı, Sakarya Zaferi sonrası imzalanan Ankara Anlaşması gereğince üç yıllık düşman işgalinden 7 Aralık 1921 tarihinde kurtulmuştur. Düşman işgalinden kurtulmanın sevincini yaşayan Kilis halkının sonraki yıllarda başını ağrıtacak temel konu Ankara Antlaşmasının 13. maddesinin, Fransa mandası olan Suriye hükümetince gereği gibi uygulanmaması olmuştur. Sonraki süreçlerde sınır komisyonlarca kabul edilip revize edilmişse de fiziki unsurlar ile ayrılmayan bu siyasi sınır Kilis için farklı mekânsal, iktisadi, kültürel ve demografik süreçlerin yaşanmasına sebep olmuştur. Çalışmada sınırın oluşturulması ve sonrasında yaşanılan durumlar tarihi ve coğrafi bakış açısıyla ele alınmıştır. Sınır etkisini ortaya koyabilmek için Kilisin yerel basın organı olan günlük gazete arşivi, Başbakanlık Cumhuriyet Arşivi, TBMM Gizli Celse Zabıtları ve II. TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi incelenmiş ve çalışma için nitel veriler elde edilmiştir. Coğrafi açıdan sınır etkisini ortaya koyabilmek için sınır çizilmeden önceki Kilis Kazasının potansiyelini belirlemek gerekmiştir. Bu doğrultuda Halep Vilayet Salnamelerinde yer alan Kilise bağlı köy yerleşmelerine ulaşılarak 1:200.000 ölçekli topografya haritalarından ve Google Earth Pro yazılımından yararlanılarak köylerin muhtemel lokasyonları belirlenmiştir. Belirlenen yerleşme lokasyonları, ArcGIS 10.3 coğrafi bilgi sistemleri yazılımı kullanılarak dağılış haritalarına dönüştürülmüştür. Sınır etkisini en iyi yansıtan somut verilerin diğeri ise nüfus verileridir. Sınır öncesi nüfus verilerine Halep Vilayet Salnamelerinden, sınır sonrasındaki nüfus verilerine ise Genel Nüfus Sayımı sonuçlarından ulaşılmıştır. Nüfus sayıları karşılaştırıldığında Kilis, sınır oluşturulduktan sonra nüfus kaybeden ve merkeziyetin zayıfladığı bir yer olarak karşımıza çıkar. Çünkü Halepe bağlılığıyla güç kazanan Kilis, bu fonksiyonunu sınırdan sonra büyük ölçüde kaybetmiştir. Dolayısıyla sınır, Kilisin kaderi olmuştur. Kiliste sınır bir yandan korku, tehdit, resmiyeti ifade ederken diğer taraftan vaz geçilmeyen illegal sınır ticaretiyle halkın bir kesiminin geçim kapısı olmuştur.

Makale detayları

Historical and Geographical Reflections of A Border: Case Study of Kilis

Yazarlar:

Meral Kuzgun | Ömer Faruk İncili

Yayıncı:

Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Dergi:

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.11 Issue 34, pp.390-421

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

2/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001285139

pISSN:

2147-2610

Treaty of Ankara

France

Kilis

Border Effect

Geographical Change

Mondros

Ankara Antlaşması

Kilis

Sınır Etkisi

Coğrafi Değişim

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Meral Kuzgun | Ömer Faruk İncili

Yayıncı: Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Dergi: Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.11 Issue 34, pp.390-421

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 2/2023

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001285139

pISSN: 2147-2610

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Meral Kuzgun | Ömer Faruk İncili

Yayıncı:

Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Dergi:

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.11 Issue 34, pp.390-421

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

2/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001285139

pISSN:

2147-2610