Alpullu

Alpullu is a town (belde) in the Babaeski District, Kırklareli Province, Turkey.^[2] Its population is 2,070 (2022).^[1]

Alpullu
Municipality
Alpullu Bridge (Ottoman bridge over the Ergene River)
Alpullu Location in Turkey Show map of Turkey Alpullu Alpullu (Marmara) Show map of Marmara
Coordinates: 41°22′N 27°09′E
Country	Turkey
Province	Kırklareli
District	Babaeski
Elevation	40 m (130 ft)
Population  (2022)[1]	2,070
Time zone	UTC+3 (TRT)
Postal code	39570
Area code	0288

Geography

The distance from Alpullu to Babaeski is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and the distance to Kırklareli is 45 kilometres (28 mi). Alpullu is at the junction of the main railroad connecting Istanbul to Edirne and the tail line to Kırklareli.

History

The ancient name of the town was probably Alpiya meaning "Shining Water country". But during the Turkish era the name was Şekerköy meaning "Sugar village" referring to the importance of sugar beet to the town's economy. There is an ancient tumulus near the town and an Ottoman bridge named Sinanlı Mehmet köprüsü around the town.^[3] The Greek population called the town Alepli (Greek: Αλεπλή).^[4]

During the First Balkan War the retreating Turkish army burnt 250 houses of the Greek population and murdered 109 Greek inhabitants of both sexes and of all ages. Also, the Turks burned the food of the inhabitants and stole fifty pairs of oxen, with carts and 2,000 sheep. Under Bulgarian rule the villagers reconstructed their buildings. When Turks recaptured the town new persecutions broke out, some Greeks murdered by the Turks and the inhabitants were expelled and fled to Greece.^[4]

But during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) Muslim people from Bulgaria, the Pomaks who escaped from the Russian armies were settled in the farm to form the core of the town.^[5]

Alpullu was declared a seat of township in 1964.

Economy

Alpullu's economy depends on sugar beet, and the first sugar refinery of Turkey was founded in Alpullu in 1925 as one of the earliest industrial projects of the newly founded Turkish Republic. Now Alpullu is one of the most flourishing towns of Turkey. In 2007 a natural gas source was found in Alpullu ^[6]