| Type: | municipality |
| Şırnak | |
| Province: | Şırnak |
| District: | Şırnak |
| Population Total: | 75932 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Leader Party: | AKP |
| Leader Name: | Mehmed Yarka |
Şırnak (Kurdish: Şirnex) is a city in Şırnak District and the capital of Şırnak Province in Turkey.[1] The Ibrahim Khalil border crossing with Iraq is one of the main links of Turkey to Kurdistan Region in Iraq.
The city is mainly populated by Kurds of the Şirnexî tribe and had a population of 75,932 in 2023.[2]
Şırnak is divided into the twelve neighborhoods of Aşağıhan, Atatürk, Aydınlar, Bahçelievler, Boğaz, Cadırlı, Çavuşhan, Hatipler, Nasırhan, Şafak, Yayla and Yeni.[1]
See main article: Battle of Şırnak.
On 18 August 1992, fighting broke out between Turkish forces and Kurdish separatists of the PKK. 20,000 out of 25,000 residents fled the city during the three days of fighting.
While the town was under bombardment, there was no way to get an account of what was happening in the region as journalists were prevented from entering the city centre, which was completely burned down by the Turkish Army. Şırnak was under fire for three days and tanks and cannons were used to hit buildings occupied by civilians.[3]
On 13 March 2016 military operations by Turkish forces began against PKK. The military curfew imposed on the Kurdish city was lifted after 246 days. Neighbourhoods like Gazipaşa, Yeşilyurt, İsmetpaşa, Dicle, Cumhuriyet and Bahçelievler were completely destroyed in the war.[4]
In local elections of 2019, candidate Mehmet Yarka of the AKP party won with 61.72% of the vote.[5]
Population history from 1965 to 2023:[6] [7]
Şırnak has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), with chilly, snowy winters and very hot, dry summers. Humidity is always low throughout the year due to its inland location. February and March are the wettest months, July and August are the driest, with virtually no precipitation at all.
Highest recorded temperature:40.4C on 28 July 2011 and 10 August 2023
Lowest recorded temperature:-14.5C on 2 January 2009[8]