Our Region
Within the framework of compliance with the acquis implemented by the European Union at the regional level, a Statistical Regional Units Classification (NUTS) study has been prepared in Turkey. In this study, the Statistical Regional Units Classification was defined throughout the country in order to collect and develop regional statistics, conduct socioeconomic analysis of the regions, determine the framework of regional policies and create a comparable statistical database in accordance with the European Union Regional Statistics System.
NUTS, which was developed to enable accurate regional analysis, is compatible with the European Union statistical classification units. While creating the 3-tiered regional system, 81 provinces were defined as Level 3, and neighboring provinces that were similar in economic, social and geographical terms were designated as Level 2 (26) and Level 1 (12) regions, taking into account regional development plans and population sizes.
According to this classification, Türkiye is statistically classified as follows;
12 Level 1 Regions,
26 Level 2 Regions,
81 Level 3 Regions (provinces)
This distinction is not an administrative classification, but a statistical classification. In accordance with Law No. 5449, Development Agencies were established on the basis of Level 2 Regions. As a result of this study, 26 Statistical Regional Units were defined as Level 2, and the decision of the Council of Ministers numbered 2002/4720 was published in the Official Gazette dated 22 September 2002. Within the scope of NUTS, the Western Black Sea Region, which includes the provinces of Zonguldak, Karabük and Bartın, is named as TR81 Level 2 Region.
TR81 Western Black Sea Region includes Zonguldak and the provinces of Bartın, which was a district of Zonguldak and gained provincial status in 1991, and Karabük, which was a district of Zonguldak and gained provincial status in 1995. In the region with a total surface area of 9,814 km2, Zonguldak has a share of 34%, Karabük 42% and Bartın 24% in terms of proportional distribution of the population. According to 2022 TÜİK Address Based Population Registration System data, 588,510 of the region's population of 1,043,919 live in Zonguldak, 252,058 in Karabük and 203,351 in Bartın, and 1.22% of Türkiye's population lives in the Western Black Sea Region.
Although the urban population rate is higher than the rural population rate throughout the region, there has been a significant increase in the urban population, especially in the last 15 years. While the urban population rate of the region was 48.91% in 2007, according to the Address-Based Population Registration System data, this rate was determined to be 65.23% in 2022 data. According to 2022 data, only in Bartın province, the rural population rate (54.2) is higher than the urban population rate. Among the provinces in the region, the province with the highest urban population is Karabük with 77.3%, followed by Zonguldak with 66.8% and Bartın with 45.8%. When we look at the ranking of provinces in Türkiye in terms of rural population, it is seen that Zonguldak is ranked 33rd, Karabük is 58th and Bartın is ranked 3rd.
According to 2022 data, when we look at the age distribution of the region's population, the elderly dependency ratio (65+) is 21.13%, well above the Türkiye average of 14.55%. In terms of youth dependency ratio (0-14), the regional average is 22.85%, which is below the Türkiye average of 32.25%. Based on the age dependency ratios in question, it is seen that the young population in the region is decreasing and the elderly population is increasing; In other words, it is concluded that the population of the region is gradually aging.
According to 2022 data, the Western Black Sea Region has a value above the Türkiye average in terms of population density. In terms of the number of people per km2, Zonguldak has 178 people, Karabük has 61 people and Bartın has 98 people, while Türkiye's average has been determined as 111 people. With these values, Zonguldak ranks 12th, Karabük 45th and Bartın 28th in Turkey.
According to 2022 TÜİK data, there are a total of 40 municipalities, 18 districts and 920 villages in the region. When we look at their distribution, there are 25 municipalities, 8 districts and 380 villages in Zonguldak; 7 municipalities, 6 districts and 277 villages in Karabük; It is seen that there are 8 municipalities, 4 districts and 263 villages in Bartın.
In Turkey, which does not have a homogeneous structure in terms of development, it is very important to analyze the development levels of provinces and regions and produce policies appropriate to this result in order to reduce intra-regional and inter-regional development differences. Within the scope of development analysis, Socio-Economic Development Ranking Research (SEGE) stands out as one of the monitoring and evaluation tools of regional development policies. These researches are important studies that provide the opportunity to detect and compare the development levels and trends of districts, provinces and regions. In this regard, the SEGE study, the first of which was conducted in Turkey in 2003, was updated by developing method and variable sets in 2011 and 2017.
According to the "Socio-Economic Development Ranking Research of Provinces and Regions" report conducted by the General Directorate of Development Agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology in 2017, TR81 Western Black Sea Region is ranked 12th among 26 regions. Among 81 provinces, Karabük is ranked 22nd, Zonguldak is ranked 28th and Bartın is ranked 46th.
In this study, as a result of the analysis made with 52 variables selected by establishing a balance between regional capacity and potential and individual welfare, 6 levels were determined based on the natural breakdown of the Socio-Economic Development Ranking index values of the provinces. The levels are from 1 to 6, the most developed provinces are in the 1st level and the least developed provinces are in the 6th level. Among the provinces in the TR 81 Region, Zonguldak is in the 3rd level, Karabük is in the 2nd level and Bartın is in the 4th level.
Provincial SEGE-2017 Development Levels Map
In the SEGE-2017 study, the relative rankings and levels of the districts were also determined by using a total of 32 variables in 7 dimensions: demography, employment, education, health, competitiveness, financial and quality of life. It is seen that there is 1 first stage, 4 second stage, 5 third stage, 5 fourth stage and 3 fifth stage districts in the TR81 Western Black Sea Region, which has 18 districts, including 8 in Zonguldak, 6 in Karabük and 4 in Bartın.
2017 SEGE Western Black Sea Region District Grading
TR81 Western Black Sea Region has multi-modal transportation and transport infrastructure. The Western Black Sea Region is approximately 250 km from Ankara and 320 km from Istanbul. The region is approximately 100 km away from the Ankara-Istanbul highway. A population of more than 30 million can be reached within a 300 km radius from the Region by land.
Zonguldak Airport, which is a regional airport and located in Zonguldak, has the status of an international airport and there are flights to Istanbul Airport on international flights to Germany and domestic flights. Zonguldak Airport, the only airport in the region, is operated by a private company controlled by DHMI. The airport, which has the potential to serve all three provinces due to its location, has an annual passenger capacity of 500 thousand. It is 55 km from Zonguldak, 36 km from Bartın and 87 km from Karabük. Additionally, Filyos Port is located 5-6 km away from the Filyos Industrial Zone areas. Zonguldak Airport was built for military use during the Second World War, and the building and landscaping works were carried out in 1999.
Railway transportation infrastructure is available in the regional provinces of Zonguldak and Karabük. The line called Irmak-Karabük-Zonguldak (IKZ) passes through the region. Raw material and final product transportation of hard coal mines and heavy industry organizations has been provided more easily and economically by railways, which have existed in the region since ancient times. Today, important industrial organizations such as Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise (TTK), Kardemir and thermal power plants continue to use the railway. The existing railway on the Zonguldak – Kozlu – Üzülmez line is used by TTK and its maintenance work is also carried out by this institution. According to the data announced by TCDD, as of 2022, there are a total of 198 km of railway lines in the region, including 71 km in Zonguldak province and 127 km in Karabük province. The existing railway line is integrated with Zonguldak Port and Eren Port. While freight transportation by railway line can be carried out between Zonguldak-Karabük and outside the region, passenger transportation can only be carried out between Zonguldak-Karabük and the districts where the railway stations are located. Karabük province is on an important route that carries approximately 15 percent of the railway freight throughout the country.
There are currently a total of 8 important commercial ports in the region, 5 in Zonguldak and 3 in Bartın. Erdemir Port, Ereğli Bozhane Port, TTK Port, Eren Port and Filyos Port flow within the borders of Zonguldak province, while Bartın Port, Amasra Port and Akkonak Port flow within the borders of Bartın province. These ports are used only for freight transportation, and the cruise port in Amasra is used for passenger transportation.
According to the results of the Socio-Economic Development Ranking Research of Provinces and Regions (SEGE-2017) study, Zonguldak, Karabük and Bartın in the TR81 Western Black Sea Region ranked 48th, 19th and 39th respectively in education and 24th, 22nd and 41st in health. Karabük has values well above Türkiye's averages in terms of YGS average success score in education (218.4) and general secondary education schooling rate variables (92.6 percent). Bartın ranks second in vocational and technical high schools enrollment rate with 57.2 percent. Türkiye's average in this variable is 44 percent.
In terms of net schooling rate, the provinces of the region are above the Turkish average. According to the official statistics of the 2021-2022 Directorate of National Education, there is a decrease in the net schooling rates of primary school, secondary school, vocational and technical secondary education compared to previous years; There was an increase in secondary education and general secondary education levels. It is considered that the reason for the decrease in the net schooling rate is that 5-year-old students started primary school in the 2012-2013 academic year, which was the year of transition to the 4+4+4 education system, and in the following years, 5-year-old students were directed to pre-school with the change in regulation and the decrease in enrollment due to the Covid-19 epidemic. However, although there is no significant difference between the net enrollment rates of men and women at the primary, secondary and secondary education levels throughout the region, there is an increase in favor of women in general secondary education and in favor of men in vocational and technical secondary education.
There are three state universities in the region. Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University was established in 1992, Karabük University in 2007 and finally Bartın University in 2008. In higher education, there are 86,821 associate and undergraduate students in a total of 3 universities in the region in the 2022-2023 academic year, constituting 1.4 percent of the total number of higher education associate and undergraduate students in Turkey. The total number of graduate students in the region is 7,652 and constitutes 1.8 percent of the total number of graduate students in Turkey. The number of doctoral students studying in the region is 1,525 and constitutes 1.3 percent of the number of doctoral students in Turkey. The total number of teaching staff in the region has reached 3,189 and constitutes 1.7 percent of the total number of teaching staff in Turkey.
There are 32,560 associate, undergraduate and graduate students at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, 45,358 at Karabük University, and 18,080 at Bartın University. Although the region has shown a continuous increase in terms of the number of students compared to previous years, it still constitutes 1.38 percent of Türkiye's total. However, for the same period, the number of faculty members was stated as 1,329 at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, 1,169 at Karabük University and 691 at Bartın University.
In health, when the total number of healthcare personnel is examined, it is seen that the highest number of healthcare personnel is in Zonguldak, and Zonguldak is followed by Karabük and Bartın, respectively. Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Hospital, which has been serving the region for a long time, creates a significant capacity in the region. The fact that there is no university affiliated hospital in Bartın province yet has a negative impact on the health capacity. Health services provided by the private sector in the region are not yet at the desired level. It is thought that one of the main reasons for this situation is the region's proximity to metropolises such as Ankara and Istanbul, where integrated and private health services are intensively provided.
In the "Interprovincial Competition Index 2021-2022" report published by Istanbul University City Policy Application and Research Center in 2023, Zonguldak was ranked 30th, Karabük 11th and Bartın 52nd in the health sector. In the social life ranking of the same report, Zonguldak is ranked 34th, Karabük is 35th and Bartın is 59th. Looking at these results, it can be said that the health sector is in a relatively better condition compared to social life.
8 public, 1 university and 3 private in Zonguldak; 5 state and 1 private in Karabük; There are 3 public and 1 private hospitals in Bartın. There are a total of 1,547 hospitals in Turkey, and 0.91 percent of the country's total hospital bed capacity is located in Zonguldak, 0.30 percent is in Karabük and 0.17 percent is in Bartın. This situation is parallel to the population of the provinces; Zonguldak is above the average, Karabük is around the average and Bartın is below the average.
Although the number of hospital beds per hundred thousand people is increasing day by day, according to the latest TÜİK (2021) data, Türkiye's average is calculated as 301 beds. When we look at the number of hospital beds per hundred thousand people in the provinces of the Western Black Sea Region, Zonguldak is 392, Karabük is 291, Bartın is 214, and the regional average is 333. The number of beds in Karabük and Bartın provinces is below the Türkiye average.
The Western Black Sea Region is a region that has continued its existence with mining activities and the iron and steel industry that has developed accordingly, and has developed and grown with this feature. Since the 1940s, the mining sector and the iron and steel sector have been the sectors that enabled the development of the region and provided the most employment opportunities. In the 1990s, problems began to occur in employment and regional development due to the dependent sectoral structure of the region and the contraction in dominant sectors.
Although industrial activities in the region are still mainly based on mining and iron and steel industry today, employment rates in this sector have started to decrease over time due to the problems experienced in mining. Contrary to the stagnation in the mining sector, the share of the iron and steel and related sub-industry products sector in the regional economy is gradually increasing. This sector, which has been developing more rapidly in recent years, is becoming a great hope for the region. When we look at the sectoral structure in the export figures of the TR81 region, it is seen that the largest proportion is made up of iron and steel exports. Apart from these two dominant sectors, the shares of furniture, forest products and energy sectors in the regional economy have also begun to increase.
According to 2022 data received from the Provincial Directorates of Industry and Technology, there are 1,373 industrial facilities registered in the industrial registry system in the region. Approximately 49.5 percent of the industrial facilities are located in Zonguldak, 32.6 percent in Karabük and 18 percent in Bartın. Most industrial facilities; Karabük center with 215 facilities and Kdz with 203 facilities, respectively. Ereğli is located in Bartın center with 191 facilities, Çaycuma with 160 facilities and Safranbolu with 138 facilities. The fewest industrial facilities in the region are in Ovacık, Amasra, Eflani, Ulus and Kozlu, respectively. 67,357 people are employed in industrial facilities in the region. Approximately 57.6 percent of those employed are in Zonguldak, 24.4 percent in Karabük and 18.01 percent in Bartın. In terms of the number of employment, respectively; Kdz with 15,518 people. Ereğli, Karabük Center with 12,322 people, Bartın Center with 10,343 people, Kilimli with 6,352 people, Çaycuma with 5,676 people and Zonguldak Center with 3,560 people are among the prominent settlements. The lowest number of employment in industry in the region is in Ovacık, Kurucaşile, Eflani and Eskipazar, Yenice and Ulus, respectively.
Maps regarding the distribution of industrial facilities in the region and the number of people employed in industrial facilities are given below.
Number of Industrial Facilities (2022)
Number of People Employed in the Industrial Sector (2022)
It is seen that the average annual export amount in the Western Black Sea Region between 2013 and 2022 is approximately 791.1 million USD. In the same period, Türkiye's annual export average was at the level of 180.0 billion dollars. While the increase and decrease in the exports of Zonguldak and Karabük have a similar appearance, the export of Bartın province is seen to be far below the regional average, and the increase in export data for 2021 is noteworthy. In the Western Black Sea Region, Zonguldak made the most exports in 2022 with 597.9 million USD, while Bartın made the least exports with 32.8 million USD. Region's exports increased in parallel with the increase in Türkiye's exports in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2021, and broke a record especially in 2021. The year 2015 was recorded as a year in which exports decreased for both the regional provinces and Türkiye.
While the export-import coverage ratio is 73.83 percent in Türkiye and 39.02 percent in the region, according to the average of 2013-2021, it is 31.07 percent in Zonguldak and 51.46 in Karabük. In Bartın, this rate was 285.86 percent, different from both the regional provinces and the country as a whole. It is also known that in Bartın, where export figures are higher than import figures, imports and exports are at lower levels compared to the provinces in the region. The share of the Western Black Sea Region in the country's exports is 0.38 percent as of 2022. When examined between 2013 and 2021, it is seen that this rate varies between 0.27 percent and 0.69 percent. Bartın's share in the country's exports, one of the provinces in the region, has the lowest share among the provinces in the region.
Zonguldak province is under the influence of the temperate Black Sea climate and there is no dry season. Although it rains in every season, the most rainfall occurs in autumn and winter. As you move from the sea to the inland areas, the climate becomes harsher and rainfall decreases. The monthly average temperature varies between 6 and 22 degrees, and 145 days of the year are rainy.
Since Karabük is located inland from the coast, it cannot benefit sufficiently from the humid air of the Black Sea, and the characteristics of the continental climate predominate. Transitional type climate is effective in Karabük, which is in the transition area from the Black Sea climate to the continental climate. The monthly average temperature varies between 2.9 and 24 degrees, and 112 days of the year are rainy.
While summers are hot and winters are cool in Bartın province, a temperate maritime climate (Black Sea climate) prevails in the city. Its proximity to the sea and the fact that mountain ranges are parallel to the coast generally cause temperature differences on the coastline to decrease and humidity to increase. The monthly average temperature varies between 4.1 and 22.1 degrees, and 139 days of the year are rainy.
The Western Black Sea Region is a rising value in tourism with its unique nature, historical and cultural values. The region stands out especially in domestic tourism, as it can offer different types of tourism together and is close to metropolises such as Istanbul and Ankara and densely populated settlements. The 139 km long Black Sea coast, stretching from Zonguldak to Bartın, has a significant tourism potential with its natural texture, 64 percent of which consists of forests and shrubs, its history dating back 6,500 years, historical and cultural treasures from various civilizations, natural beauties and climatic characteristics. It is possible to find many themes of tourism in the region defined by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism within the Western Black Sea Coastal Corridor.
Zonguldak
Zonguldak is home to natural sites such as the "Natural Old Yew Stand", which contains the world's oldest known yew tree, which is estimated to be 4,119 years old, Gümeli Forests and plateau, untouched bays and blue flag beaches along the 80 km coastline parallel to the Black Sea, Harmankaya Waterfalls Nature Park consisting of hiking trails in nature, Kayalıdere Waterfalls and Süzek Adventure Trail for adventure enthusiasts. Zonguldak has important tourism values with its areas.
In addition to these values, caving activities in Zonguldak, which is also very rich in caves, were first started in 1988 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and seven caves were registered as cultural assets. In 1994, with the initiatives of the Provincial Directorate of Tourism, geological surveys of a total of nineteen caves were carried out, and among these, Gökgöl Cave was opened to visitors for tourism purposes and is highly appreciated with its award-winning visitor center. Çayır Cave, which is the water source of the ancient city of Tios and the beginning of the historical Roman waterway, is one of the important caves in the province with its bat ecosystem. Sofular Cave, with its formations containing 700 thousand years of climate records, serves as a source for researchers working on climate change.
Karabük
The province with the most forest area in Turkey relative to its surface area is Karabük, with 74 percent. 87 percent of Karabük's Yenice district is covered with forest and has the largest block forest in Turkey. The facilities located in the areas called Şeker Kanyon and Ihlamur Teras include daily and accommodation units in the forest, an adventure track, a museum and a restaurant. Tracks suitable for sports such as trekking and cycling have been created in Yenice, and national and international cycling events are organized.
In 2019, Keltepe Ski Center was built between Yenice and Karabük Center and opened to winter tourism. The ski center has an 870 m long chair lift with 64 chairs, a 670 m long teleski and a 100 m long baby lift station. The facility has five different tracks and a training track.
The plateaus and ponds located within the borders of Yenice, Eflani and Ovacık offer important opportunities in terms of nature and sports tourism. The ponds and ecotourism opportunities in Eflani and the rock tombs in Ovacık are among the important tourism riches of the province. It is envisaged to offer different opportunities to nature lovers with the daily and accommodation facilities planned to be built in Baklabostan Nature Park in Karabük Center.
bartin
Bartın, which has a deep-rooted history, touristic values, forests, natural beauties, archaeological, ethnographic and folkloric values, has a history and cultural heritage of 5,000 years. It offers the opportunity to experience nature and sports tourism with its waterfalls, endless forests, centuries-old plane trees, caves, geological formations and plateaus.
Küre Mountains National Park, one of the most important natural areas of the Western Black Sea Region and located within the provincial borders of Bartın and Kastamonu, is very valuable in terms of nature tourism. The district centers administratively surrounding the park are Ulus, Kurucaşile and Amasra, which belong to Bartın, and Azdavay, Pınarbaşı and Cide, which belong to Kastamonu. KDMP, which received "National Park" status in 2000 due to its values, has also brought to the fore the concept of "buffer zone", which is used to secure the biological diversity intended to be protected. In addition, KDMP is the first area in Turkey accepted by PAN Parks, which takes its name from the abbreviation of Protected Area Network, which is a network based on mutual balance and harmony between extraordinary natural beauties and tourism. Work continues to include Küre Mountains National Park in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Program.
It stands out in tourism with its 59 km coastline, dozens of bays where blue and green coexist, blue flag and fine sand beaches, unique geographical and historical structure and handicrafts. Amasra, with its fresh fish and famous salad, and Bartın, with its delicious dishes, are also very rich in terms of gastronomy.
In the tourism sector, which has been developing rapidly in recent years in the world and in our country, the Western Black Sea region also has a significant development potential with its tourism values. However, the region; It faces certain constraints such as the rapid growth of industrial areas, increasing environmental problems, lack of tourism investments and human capital.
Work on the Western Black Sea Tourism Master Plan, which has the vision of becoming one of Turkey's most important regions in the field of nature and culture tourism, started in 2018 and was completed in 2020. By carrying out a comprehensive study, it is aimed to be a guiding source for the development of the tourism industry of the Western Black Sea Region for the next 10 years.
This master plan, presented with detailed objectives, strategies and specific action plans, will serve as a tool, guide and reference point for future tourism-related development measures and will promote sustainable growth for Western Black Sea tourism.
In order to present developments in the planning and process activities of the Tourism Master Plan to local and national stakeholders, and to ensure that strategies and actions can be followed effectively and efficiently by all stakeholders.batikaradeniz.gov.trIt is planned to create a website and share all developments here.
Through this website created within the framework of the Tourism Master Plan
Participation was encouraged and supported by providing local stakeholders with up-to-date information about the planning process,
By sharing the agenda, activities, targets and results, transparency is ensured and trust is established with stakeholders,
It is aimed to give sector stakeholders an idea about the tourism sector of the region and to raise awareness.
Tourism is one of the important sectors in the region. The region, 63% of which consists of forests and shrubs, contains many values suitable for nature tourism, which can also support rural development. Küre Mountains National Park and Yenice Forests are the most well-known of these values. In addition to nature tourism, the region is also suitable for culture-history-congress and coastal tourism. Safranbolu, which was given the title of "World Heritage City" by UNESCO, and Amasra Castle, which was added to the World Heritage Tentative List, have brand value in terms of tourism. In recent years, Zonguldak has increased its importance in tourism with its industrial heritage elements and investments in nature tourism. Turkey's first and only mining museum is also located in Zonguldak.
According to the October 2023 data of the General Directorate of Investment Enterprises of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, there is a bed capacity of 3,924 in 60 facilities with tourism operation certificates in the region, and there is a bed capacity of 6,616 in 284 facilities with simple accommodation operation certificates. In addition, there are 7 facilities with investment certificates in the region with a total bed capacity of 390. In addition to these facilities, there are two accommodation facilities with environmentally friendly business certificates, one each in Zonguldak and Karabük. While the facility in Karabük has a capacity of 124 rooms and 248 beds, the facility in Zonguldak has a capacity of 204 rooms and 418 beds. According to accommodation statistics, there was a 153 percent increase in the number of visits to facilities and a 205 percent increase in the number of overnight stays in the region between 2002 and 2022.
The 2022 overnight stay data of the General Directorate of Investment Enterprises gives bed occupancy rates in the districts. According to this data, Çaycuma, Kdz. have the highest occupancy rates in the region. It is seen that it is reached in Ereğli, Bartın Center, Zonguldak Center and Amasra. The districts with the lowest occupancy rates are Yenice, Alaplı, Kilimli and Kurucaşile, respectively.
A map of the types of tourism activities and experiences in the region is given below.
Types of Tourism in the Region
There are two basic sectors that determine economic activities in the Western Black Sea Region. The first of these is mining, which dates back to the mid-19th century, and the second is the iron and steel industry. In the region, which generally has an economic structure dependent on these two sectors, it is of great importance to create and develop sectoral diversity, improve the investment environment and increase the capacity and capabilities of existing enterprises.
According to 2022 data received from the Provincial Directorates of Industry and Technology, there are a total of 1,373 industrial facilities in the region. 49.5 percent of these facilities are located in Zonguldak, 32.6 percent in Karabük and 18 percent in Bartın. The districts with the most industrial facilities are Karabük Center (215 facilities), Kdz. They are listed as Ereğli (203 facilities), Bartın center (191 facilities), Çaycuma (160 facilities) and Safranbolu (138 facilities). On the other hand, there are relatively few industrial facilities in Ovacık, Amasra, Eflani, Ulus and Kozlu districts.
67,357 people are employed in industrial facilities in the region. Approximately 57.6 percent of those employed are in Zonguldak, 24.4 percent in Karabük and 18.01 percent in Bartın. The districts that stand out in terms of employment numbers are as follows: Kdz. Ereğli (15,518 people), Karabük Center (12,322 people), Bartın Center (10,343 people), Kilimli (6,352 people), Çaycuma (5,676 people) and Zonguldak Center (3,560 people). Kdz. Ereğli, Karabük Center and Bartın Center districts are the prominent districts in terms of the number of industrial facilities and employment.
The majority of industrial enterprises operating in the region are micro and small-scale, parallel to the country in general. While the rate of micro-scale enterprises is below the country average in Bartın and Zonguldak, it is seen that the rates of small, medium and large enterprises are higher than the country average. In Karabük, micro, medium and large scale enterprises are above the Turkish average, while small scale enterprises are below the Turkish average. Approximately 85 percent of the businesses in the region are micro and small-scale enterprises, and the rates of medium and large-scale enterprises are above the country average. This situation can be attributed to the prominence of sectors related to mining, iron and steel and forest products in the region.
When the sectoral distribution data of Zonguldak province is examined, the number of enterprises in the mining and iron and steel sectors attracts attention. The number of enterprises in coal extraction and other mining and quarrying sectors reflects Zonguldak's prominent position in traditional mining activities. The iron and steel production infrastructure in the province is especially effective in sectors such as the basic metal industry, fabricated metal products manufacturing (except for machinery equipment) and machinery equipment manufacturing not classified elsewhere, and this is also reflected in the number of enterprises. In addition, it is seen that the rich forest wealth of the province is reflected in the number of businesses in sectors such as wood and wood products and furniture manufacturing. The manufacturing of food products and rubber and plastic products are other prominent sectors of the province.
When the number of enterprises in Karabük province is examined, the main metal industry, fabricated metal products manufacturing (except machinery equipment) and machinery and equipment manufacturing sectors not classified elsewhere, which are sectors related to iron and steel, similar to Zonguldak province, stand out. In addition, since Karabük province has the highest proportion of forest assets in our country, the wood and wood products manufacturing and furniture manufacturing sectors in the province also attract attention in terms of the number of enterprises. Food product manufacturing, other mining and quarrying and clothing manufacturing sectors are other leading sectors of the province.
When we look at the number of businesses in Bartın province, it is seen that the wood and wood products manufacturing and furniture manufacturing sectors come to the fore in Bartın, depending on the presence of forests, as in other provinces. In addition, the manufacturing sectors of food products, clothing, other means of transportation and other non-metallic mineral products are other sectors of Bartın with a high number of enterprises.
In summary, it can be said that in terms of the number of enterprises in the TR81 Region, in addition to mining, iron and steel related sectors and forest industry related sectors, the manufacturing of food products, textile and clothing manufacturing and partly the manufacturing of other transportation vehicles stand out. It is considered that integrated iron and steel facilities such as TTK, Erdemir and Kardemir, the presence of hard coal and the wide forest cover in the region are effective in this distribution.
In line with the changing perception of time and space due to globalization, direct capital investments made by businesses have begun to increase. In direct foreign investments and national investments made by large and multinational enterprises, the competitiveness level of the region where the investment will be implemented is expected to be high. In order for a region to be preferred for investment purposes, its accessibility must be high, it must be close to raw material resources, its logistics facilities must be developed and its human capital must be competent.
The advantages of the Western Black Sea Region in terms of investment ecosystem can be listed as follows.
Proximity to Energy Resources and Production Capacity; The Western Black Sea Region is an important actor in the energy sector in terms of its existing installed facilities, planned investments in the region and proximity to energy resources. Fossil resources are mostly used in electricity production in the region, and 5.7 percent of the installed power for electricity generation is met by renewable energy sources and the rest is met by fossil resources. There are 3 thermal power plants in operation in the region, and these three power plants are in Zonguldak province. In 2022, the total installed power capacity of the region is 3,640.9 MW, the total production capacity is 19,990 GWh, and the total consumption amount of the region is 2,561 GWh. In addition, Zonguldak province ranks first in Turkey in terms of the ratio of electricity production to consumption, with a rate of 1.512 percent. According to EMRA 2023 data, 6.0 percent of Turkey's electricity production, 1.0 percent of electricity consumption and 3.8 percent of installed power belong to the Western Black Sea Region. 94.6 percent of the total electricity production in the region belongs to Zonguldak, 4.5 percent to Karabük and 0.4 percent to Bartın. 93.2 percent of the total electricity installed capacity is in Zonguldak, 5.5 percent in Karabük and 1.2 percent in Bartın. Electricity consumption data among the provinces of the region are proportionally;Zonguldak with 49.1 percent, Karabük with 24.1 percent and Bartın with 26.8 percent. Proximity to energy can provide a significant cost advantage in the supply of energy inputs in industrial investments to be made in the region. The share of the regional provinces in energy production, installed capacity, production/consumption ratio and installed power rankings in 2022 are shown below.
Region's Share in Electricity Production in 2022 (Percent) and Türkiye Ranking
Proximity to Main Axes and Metropolises;The Western Black Sea Region is on average 110 km from all provinces to the Istanbul-Ankara highway, which is the main highway axis of Turkey. It is 350 km away from Istanbul, the financial center of Turkey, one of the largest metropolises, and 250 km from Ankara, the political center of Turkey. away. It stands out due to its location, being close to the Marmara Region, where industrial activities are concentrated, and considering the tendency for industrial activities to shift out of Istanbul within the scope of decentralization of industry. The presence of strong enterprises such as Erdemir and Kardemir that can supply materials to the automotive industry in the region, the ability to build industrial parcels and investments at more affordable costs, and the existence of the Filyos Valley Project make the region suitable for high and medium-high technology investments.
Diversity of Transportation and Logistics Possibilities;In addition to location advantage, diversity and integration of transportation networks are also of great importance for competition. One of the strongest aspects of the Western Black Sea Region is its transportation infrastructure with all transportation modes. The Western Black Sea Region has an important logistics potential due to its coastline on the Black Sea and its appeal to Ankara and Central Anatolia hinterland. Çaycuma Airport, which is international and operates domestic and international flights, is 54 km from Zonguldak, 87 km from Karabük and 33 km from Bartın, and has a location that can be considered the middle point of the provinces and can benefit from import and export opportunities at the highest level.
Integrated Iron and Steel Facilities and Intermediate Product Producers;In the Western Black Sea Region, Erdemir, one of Turkey's largest integrated iron and steel producers, Kardemir, one of the long products iron and steel producers, and industrial enterprises that supply and develop depending on these organizations are densely located. Due to the development of integrated iron and steel facilities, steel service centers and machinery manufacturing sector, the region has become one of the most important points of the iron and steel industry. In the iron and steel sector, production is carried out primarily for construction and automotive, pipes, profiles, durable consumer goods, fuel vehicles and equipment, rail systems, agricultural vehicles, tin consumers and the shipbuilding sector. Developments in these sectors directly affect the iron and steel sector, and the progress made in the iron and steel sector also affects these sectors.
Trained and Qualified Workforce;There are many qualified personnel in the Western Black Sea Region due to its deep-rooted iron and steel industry history. As of today, industrial activities are still mainly based on mining and iron and steel industry. Depending on the iron and steel sector and the workforce there, the shipyard sector is also quite developed in the region. The fact that some of the machinery manufacturing and auto sub-industry production, which have high added value within the scope of sub-industry products, are carried out in the region shows the knowledge and experience of the people of the region in the industrial sector.
The Western Black Sea Region is one of the first industrialized regions of Turkey. When the share of industrial areas in the total areas of the provinces is examined, Zonguldak ranks 14th with 0.70 percent, Karabük ranks 35th with 0.26 percent and Bartın ranks 50th with 0.14 percent.
Although there is one free zone in the region, it has not started operating yet. Filyos Free Zone, located within the borders of Çaycuma district of Zonguldak, has a size of 1,044 hectares. There is also an area of 620 hectares defined as a development area just south of Filyos Free Zone.
There are three industrial zone investment areas in the region and these industrial zones are; Filyos Industrial Zone with a size of 344 hectares, TPAO Filyos Industrial Zone with a size of 253 hectares and Eren Holding AŞ Zonguldak Private Industrial Zone. Pre-investment preparations continue in Filyos Industrial Zone. With the discovery of natural gas in the Sakarya Gas Field, the gas purchase and processing facility installation works for the natural gas being extracted from the Black Sea are continuing in the TPAO Filyos Industrial Zone, which was separated from the Filyos Industrial Zone and allocated to the Turkish Petroleum Joint Stock Company. Eren Holding AŞ Zonguldak Private Industrial Zone has an area of 176.53 hectares and was declared an industrial zone by the decision published in the Official Gazette No. 32392 dated December 7, 2023.
There are 5 active mixed OIZs in the region, with a total size of 920 hectares, with a total of 171 enterprises and 15,339 employees on 269 parcels. These are Kdz. They are Ereğli OIZ, Alaplı OSB, Çaycuma OSB, Karabük OSB and Bartın OSB. Expansion works for Bartın and Çaycuma OIZ continue.
However, there are also projects whose legal process has been completed, infrastructure investments are ongoing, or site allocation and determination procedures are being carried out. These projects, with a total size of 456 hectares; The infrastructure investments of Zonguldak Çaycuma Specialized Agricultural OIZ have been completed, and the infrastructure application project process of Eskipazar OIZ is at the completion stage. The location determination process of Gökçebey mixed OIZ, which is approximately 65 hectares in size, has been completed and its establishment protocol has been approved by the Ministry of Industry and Technology and it has gained legal personality.
In addition, efforts to bring new OIZ areas to the region continue. Ereğli II. There are initiatives to develop the OIZ project, to start the second stage of the Çaycuma Agriculture-Based Specialized OIZ, to establish an agriculture-based specialized OIZ in Bartın, to establish a furniture and forest products OIZ in Yenice, and to establish Çaycuma-Saltukova OIZ and Abdipaşa OIZ. In addition, although there is no concrete development yet, there have been efforts in the past years to establish a reclamation OIZ in the area where the existing industrial facilities are located in Alaplı.
Other factors affecting the investment environment in the region are technology development zones, R&D, design and innovation centers. In addition, transportation and logistics facilities, road, railway, air and port facilities constitute important parts of the investment ecosystem. Below is a map showing the investment environment of the region.
Investment Environment of the Region
In Türkiye, studies are carried out to increase the competitiveness of the industry, increase its efficiency, and produce high value-added and advanced technology products. For this purpose, appropriate physical infrastructure and facilities for production and trade have begun to be created. Filyos Industrial Zone, Türkiye's first mega industrial zone, Filyos Free Zone in the south and Filyos Port, one of Türkiye's largest ports, are also located in the Filyos Investment Basin and are a national investment project that Turkey attaches great importance to. With the project, it is planned to create new transportation corridors, reduce the traffic load of the Istanbul and Dardanelles Straits, increase qualified production, and develop national and international transportation and trade. This investment basin, which includes Filyos Port, Filyos Industrial Zone, Filyos Free Zone and Free Zone Development Area, is called Filyos Valley Project.
Filyos Port:Türkiye has the longest coastline among the countries neighboring the Black Sea. Filyos Port, located on the Black Sea coast, has a capacity of 25 million tons/year and a large hinterland area. Filyos Port constitutes an important transportation network for the export of leading industries and their by-products in the region. Filyos Port is of great importance for the country's national and international trade, especially with the Black Sea Basin and Eastern European countries. Filyos Port contains the necessary port facilities to handle containers, bulk cargo and dry cargo. However, due to the presence of natural gas reserves off the Black Sea coast and its landing in a location close to Filyos Port, the use of the port was temporarily given to the Turkish Petroleum Joint Stock Partnership (TPAO). This situation has led to uncertainty for the regional industry waiting for the completion of the port project. For this reason, solutions such as an additional large port that will make maritime transportation possible in the region or a safe area in the existing port to be made available to the industry are needed. In addition, the port's transportation connections to main roads and arteries also need to be improved.It is also very important to ensure the connection of regular industrial areas in the region to the railway transportation network. Filyos Port complements the investments coming to the region along with the free zone and industrial zone investments.
Filyos Industrial Zone:Industrial zones are special production zones allocated for industry by being equipped with the necessary infrastructure services. It is aimed to include larger-scale integrated investments in these regions. A fertilizer factory investment is planned by Tosyalı Holding, the managing company, in the 344 hectare area defined as Filyos Industrial Zone.
Filyos Free Zone:It is a 1,166 hectare area located just south of the Filyos Industrial Zone and extending towards the Çaycuma district center, passing by Zonguldak Airport. Just south of Çaycuma district, there is a "Free Zone Development Area" extending to the Ankara-Zonguldak road and measuring 620 hectares. Free Zones are special areas located outside the scope of customs zones. These regions are designed to increase the number of export-oriented investments. The main advantages of free zones and the conveniences they provide create significant added value for investments in this region.
Filyos Valley Project
There are two technology development zones in the region. Zonguldak Technology Development Zone, which was established in 2017 and whose application for area expansion was approved in 2023, serves in a usage area of 2,030 m² and a residential area of 10,973.15 m². To date, 36 companies have operated in the technopark, 55 R&D projects have been carried out and 25 projects have been successfully completed.
Karabük Technology Development Zone, established in 2017, continues its activities in the technopark building with 1,000 m² of usable area in a total area of 15,023 m2. To date, 48 companies have operated in the technopark, 80 R&D Projects have been carried out and 22 projects have been successfully completed.
There are a total of 43 office areas in the technoparks, and there are 35 companies, 19 of which are in Karabük and 16 in Zonguldak. All 35 companies in technoparks are local, and 23 percent have academic partnerships. 28.6 percent of the companies located in technoparks are incubation companies. In addition, there is Bartın Innovation and Test Center within Bartın OIZ, which has a closed area of 4 thousand m2. There is also a business development center in Zonguldak Central district.
There are three private R&D centers in the region, two in Zonguldak and one in Karabük (Ereğli Iron and Steel Factories, Çanakçılar Seramik, Kardemir Karabük Iron and Steel Factory), and two design centers (Erdemir Mühendislik Yönetimi and Gürmen Giyim Sanayi), one in Zonguldak and one in Karabük. There are 78 employees working in R&D centers in Zonguldak, 20 in Karabük, and 80 employees in design centers in Zonguldak and 18 in Karabük.
According to the Research and Development Activities Research conducted by TÜİK in 2021, the R&D expenditure of the TR81 Level 2 Region is 752,578,883 TL and the R&D human resource is 3,089 people. When these data are compared with Turkey's R&D expenditure and R&D human resources, the region's share in the total is 0.74 percent and 0.86 percent, respectively.
The number of patents received from the Turkish Patent Institute in the Western Black Sea Region between 2017 and 2022 is 47. The number of patents received in Turkey between the same years is 15,735. Only 0.30 percent of the country's total registered patents are located in the region. In this case, it is considered that the number of patents obtained in the region is very low compared to the total number of patents in the country. According to the ranking of the provinces that have received a patent registration certificate for 2022, Zonguldak is ranked 21st, Karabük is 27th and Bartın is 29th.
In addition, projects and activities are carried out by the Western Black Sea Development Agency, in cooperation with universities and technoparks, with the aim of adopting an innovation approach in existing sectors and developing human capital in the field of digital technologies and cyber security by developing entrepreneurship.
High-technology companies need a highly qualified workforce with expertise in specific fields, R&D infrastructure, advanced engineering services and an advanced supplier network that can be obtained in metropolitan areas. These companies can shift their mass manufacturing operations to regions that have a sufficiently qualified workforce and industrial infrastructure, logistics opportunities, but offer lower input costs. For this reason, it is considered that the Western Black Sea Region, especially with the Filyos Valley Project, can attract some mass manufacturing operations of large-scale high-tech companies to the region.
The Western Black Sea Region has some advantages in terms of investment ecosystem, such as its location, existing industrial infrastructure, logistics facilities, R&D and innovation infrastructure. There are two technology development zones in the region. Zonguldak Technology Development Zone, which was established in 2017 and whose application for area expansion was approved in 2023, serves in a usage area of 2,030 m² and a residential area of 10,973.15 m². To date, 36 companies have operated in the technopark, 55 R&D projects have been carried out and 25 projects have been successfully completed.
Karabük Technology Development Zone, established in 2017, continues its activities in the technopark building with 1,000 m² of usable area in a total area of 15,023 m2. To date, 48 companies have operated in the technopark, 80 R&D Projects have been carried out and 22 projects have been successfully completed.
There are three private R&D centers in the region, two in Zonguldak and one in Karabük (Ereğli Iron and Steel Factories, Çanakçılar Seramik, Kardemir Karabük Iron and Steel Factory), and two design centers (Erdemir Mühendislik Yönetimi and Gürmen Giyim Sanayi), one in Zonguldak and one in Karabük. There are 78 employees working in R&D centers in Zonguldak, 20 in Karabük, and 80 employees in design centers in Zonguldak and 18 in Karabük.
In addition, within the scope of Cyber Homeland studies, the work carried out for the Cyber Homeland Competence Centers on the campuses of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University and Bartın University in 2023 has been completed and both competency centers have become operational. With the completion of the work at Karabük University in the 2024-2026 period, the institutional structure for the Cyber Homeland Competence Center activities will be completed throughout the region.
R&D and Business Development areas in the Western Black Sea Region are shown below.
Business Development, R&D and Innovation Areas in the Region
Western Black Sea Region Workforce Indicators
Although industrial activities in the Western Black Sea region are mainly based on mining and iron and steel industry, today important investments and initiatives have started to be implemented in the region in different sectors and fields.
The youth unemployment rate in the Western Black Sea Region is quite high and nearly 30 percent of the unemployed in the region are young people. The unemployment rate will be 24.4 percent in the young population in the 15-19 age group in 2022; In the 20-24 age group, it is 30.8 percent. 13.7 percent in the 25-35 age group; 9.1 percent in the 35-54 age group; The rate was lower in the 55 and older group than in the younger group, with a rate of 3 percent.
In the Western Black Sea Region, the 15-24 age group stands out as a special intervention area with its unemployment rate. The unemployment rate in this age group in the region has the highest rate among the 26 NUTS 2 Regions. The female unemployment rate in the same age group is the second highest in Turkey.
When the values regarding the net migration rate of the Western Black Sea Region in the 2008-2022 periods are examined, it is seen that it generally appears to be a region that gives migration. This situation reveals the necessity of disseminating entrepreneurship culture through efforts to strengthen human capital that can contribute to employment.
New Opportunities in Vocational Education
Filyos Valley Project is one of the most important projects of the region, which includes an industrial zone (344 hectares Filyos Industrial Zone, 253 hectares TPAO Industrial Zone), a free zone (1,044 hectares), a free zone expansion area (620 hectares) and an international port (25 million tons/year capacity). The region where the project will be carried out has multi-modal transportation opportunities including sea, railway, road and air. Hydrocarbon reserves in the Sakarya gas field in the region will be brought ashore from Filyos, processed here and connected to the national network via pipeline.
A cooperation protocol was signed between the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and Turkish Petroleum Offshore Technology Center (TP-OTC) to train local and national human resources for the oil and natural gas sector. Within the scope of this protocol, "Offshore Drilling Technology" and "Offshore Drilling Technology" departments were opened at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University in 2022 and their quotas were filled. Students graduating from these programs, which will play an important role in meeting the need for technical personnel based on scientific foundations and developing solutions to the problems of the drilling sector, will be able to take part in the production, land transmission and distribution of natural gas in the Filyos Region off the Black Sea.
With the implementation of the project, a significant amount of qualified workforce will be needed. Therefore, researching possible job opportunities that may be needed within the scope of the project and training the human resources that will be needed are important for the region to keep up with these developments and take actions that will provide the highest level of benefit and quickly implement them.
SiberVatan Program
In recent years, new talents and initiatives have begun to emerge in our country with efforts to strengthen human capital in the field of digital technologies. Customized training activities in this field, based on qualified human resources, create a great impact and especially mediate the orientation of young people to these fields. Cyber security-focused capacity building efforts within the scope of the Cyber Homeland Program in the Western Black Sea Region have begun to bear fruit in recent years and have been moved to the national level. The coordination of the Cyber Homeland Program at the national level is carried out by the Western Black Sea Development Agency.
In the Cyber Homeland program, which has achieved significant national and international success, software training is given to high school students and cyber security training is provided to university students, ensuring specialization in cyber security sub-themes.
In addition to the Cyber Homeland Competence Centers on the campuses of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University and Bartın University, which were completed in 2023, the institutional structure for the activities will be completed with the Cyber Homeland Competence Center to be completed at Karabük University in the 2024-2026 period. It is planned to focus on technology entrepreneurship studies for students who gain expertise in areas such as cyber security, software, graphic design, internet of things, robotic systems and block chain in the Competence Centers to start their own businesses. With the new term studies, it is planned to increase technology-based initiatives and businesses in the region, support the entrepreneurship ecosystem in this field and lead the spread of the system to Turkey.
Within the scope of the new term Agency studies, it is also aimed to organize training programs on digital skills in areas such as graphic design, data processing, data analysis, internet of things, artificial intelligence, block chain, cyber security, quantum and robotics, to establish national collaborations that will ensure the sustainability of employment increase, and to develop human resources for the technologies of the future.
It is planned to organize short-term training for entrepreneurs and long-term training for students with programs to be implemented in the field of digital technologies. In addition, it is aimed to prepare students for working life and increase their competencies through internship programs.