Akyaka, Kars

Akyaka (Ottoman Turkish: شوره کل Şoregil or Şöregel;[2] Azerbaijani: Ağyaxa or Şörəyəl; Kurdish: Şûrêgel; Armenian: Ղզըլ-Չախչախ, romanized: Ghzyl-Chakhchakh) is a town in Kars Province in eastern Turkey. It is the seat of Arpaçay District.[3] Its population is 2,026 (2022).[1] It is located on Turkey's closed border with Armenia.

Akyaka
Municipality
Akyaka is located in Turkey
Akyaka
Akyaka
Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 40°44′40″N 43°37′30″E
CountryTurkey
ProvinceKars
DistrictAkyaka
Government
 • MayorErgüder Toptaş (AKP)
Population
 (2022)[1]
2,026
Time zoneTRT (UTC+3)
Postal code
36780
Area code0474
Websitewww.karsakyaka.bel.tr

Government

Ergüder Toptaş was elected mayor in the local elections in March 2019.[4] Nur Seninç Özbek serves as Kaymakam.[5]

Etymology

The settlement was known as Şuregel (Russian: Шурагель) or Kızılçakçak (Russian: Кизил-Чахчах) whilst part of the Russian Empire[6]—until 1961 when it was renamed Akyaka.[7] Nowadays, the town is referred to by its Azerbaijani and Karapapakh residents as Ağyaxa or Şörəyəl.

In the town's original name Kızılçakçak, kızıl may refer to bright red in Turkish or gold in Azerbaijani, whilst çak refers to something strong, precise or in high measure in Turkic.

History

Akyaka was a district between 1922 and 1926 and a township in the Arpaçay district between 1926 and 1988. The Akyaka municipality was established in 1972.

Transport

Akyaka is a border checkpoint on the railway into Armenia, which has been closed since 1993. The route D.060 from Kars runs next to the railway leading to the border.[8]

Demographics

The town—then known as Kızılçakçak—was exclusively Armenian during the Russian Empire whilst it was part of the Kars Okrug of the Kars Oblast.[6] Following the conclusion of the Turkish–Armenian war and Turkey's annexation of the region, Azerbaijanis and Karapapakhs who had fled from Armenia in 1918–1920 settled in Akyaka, replacing the Armenian population which was expelled in 1920. Nowadays, Azerbaijanis form 50% of the population, Sunni Karapapakhs 45%, and Kurds and others form the remaining 5%.[7][9]

References
  1. "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  2. Tahir Sezen, Osmanlı Yer Adları (Alfabetik Sırayla), T.C. Başbakanlık Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü, Yayın Nu 21, Ankara, p. 474.
  3. İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  4. "Kars Akyaka Seçim Sonuçları - 31 Mart 2019 Yerel Seçimleri". www.sabah.com.tr. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  5. "Akyaka İlçe Kaymakamı". www.akyaka.gov.tr. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  6. Кавказский календарь на 1910 год [Caucasian calendar for 1910] (in Russian) (65th ed.). Tiflis: Tipografiya kantselyarii Ye.I.V. na Kavkaze, kazenny dom. 1910. p. 288. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022.
  7. "Nisanyan Yeradları".
  8. Kanbolat, Hasan (October 9, 2007). "Ermenistan'ın Türkiye ile Sorunu Nedir, Sınır Kapısı Açılmalı mıdır?" (in Turkish). Avrasya Bir Vakfı-Avrasya Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  9. "Gümrü'den Kars'a Hüryurt Ailesinin Hayatı Kitap Oldu - Kars Haberleri".


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