Tuzla is a municipality in the province of Istanbul, Turkey on the Asian side of the city next to the municipality of Pendik. Tuzla is on a headland on the coast of the Marmara Sea, at the eastern limit of the city. The mayor is Şadi Yazıcı.
History
The Greek name for the headland was Akritas. In Ottoman times the inhabitants of this fishing and farming village were mainly Greek, and these people were swapped for Turkish residents of Thessalonica, Kavala and Drama in the population exchange following the foundation of the Turkish Republic in the early 1920s.
Tuzla today
There are still fishing boats, but by the end of the 1980s, fishing had been overtaken by industry, particularly shipbuilding; the shipyards of Tuzla are still active today. There is still some farming going on inland from the town of Tuzla, although there is also industrial development. Tuzla is a small town famous for its sea front and its many fish restaurants. It is also a popular location for wealthy Istanbul residents or the retired to buy homes as it is far from the city, less crowded and still retains a 'small town feel' to it. Travelling to Kadıköy from Tuzla by public transport takes about an hour to 40 minutes by train or bus. The European side transit hubs of Eminönü and Beşiktaş are another thirty minutes away by ferry. There is a wetland inland from the coast, important for bird life, but it has deteriorated badly as the town of Tuzla has grown, and some factories are dumping their waste into the lagoon. Today, the biggest problems in Tuzla are air pollution and ecology in general. Recently, Tuzla has become known for frequent deaths of the shipyard workers. The government is being criticised for not controlling illegal employment and not forcing companies to maintain better working conditions. Companies claim that they contribute great amounts to the Turkish economy and low-paid workers are their advantage. In February and March 2008, thousands of workers went on strike for better wages and conditions. The police intervened in the demonstrations, and 86 workers were taken into police custody, 15 of them injured.
