Bahçeli proposes expanding Turkey to 100 provinces and 1000 districts

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has unveiled a major administrative reform proposal titled the “100 Provinces, 1000 Districts” project. The plan aims to increase Turkey’s current number of provinces from 81 to 100 and its districts from 922 to 1000.

Bahçeli stated that the initiative is designed to align the country’s administrative structure with the Presidential Government System and the “Century of Türkiye” vision. He emphasized that the reform is necessary to address rapid urbanization, population growth, and changing socioeconomic dynamics. The project seeks to improve the efficiency of public services and enhance regional development.

The selection of the 19 new provinces and 78 new districts will be based on objective criteria, including population density, economic development potential, geographic location, strategic importance, and ease of access to public services. Bahçeli noted that while state institutions will conduct the evaluations based on these metrics, the final decision rests with the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM).