Çukurova Belt

Cukurova Belt is the metroplex area in southern Turkey on the northeastern Mediterranean coast which is composed of cities that stretch from Erdemli in the western end to Antakya (Antioch) in the east. The belt can be also named as Erdemli-Mersin-Tarsus-Adana-Ceyhan-Osmaniye-Dortyol-Iskenderun-Kirikhan-Antakya belt. Trans-European highways E-90 and E-91 and Turkish State highways 0-50, O-51, and 0-52 serve the belt and they help define the belt.

The length of the belt from Erdemli to Antakya is some 190 miles by road [1]. On the map, the straight distance between the two cities are 110 miles. The belt is more like a south facing crescent in shape rather than a line. To the south of crescent lies the Gulf of Iskenderun and Gulf of Mersin, two major southern Turkish ports.

Although it is hard to define metropolitan areas in general and therefore there is no consensus yet on how to define a metropolitan area and a metroplex, the belt is commonly referred to as the Cukurova in Turkey. Cukurova, meaning low plains in Turkish also refers to the productive low lands and the delta formed the mouths of Seyhan and Ceyhan rivers. The total population of the cities within the belt are estimated to be 4.1 million.