Migration from Çorum to Ankara in figures: some 440,000 people from Çorum live in the capital. Why do they leave, and how does life between two cities feel?
According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan of the Çorum Governorship, Çorum and Ankara are 240 kilometres apart, and the entire road is a dual carriageway. This short distance is also the route of a migration story that has been going on for decades. According to sources citing data from the Address-Based Population Registration System of TÜİK (the Turkish Statistical Institute), around 440,000 people whose civil registration is in Çorum were living in Ankara in 2025. This number is equivalent to around 84% of the total population of the province of Çorum (519,590). Migration from Çorum to Ankara is not just a population movement; it is an experience that divides families between two cities and shapes religious holidays, funerals, weekends and the sense of belonging. In this article I will look first at the figures, and then at what these figures mean in people's inner worlds.
What Do the Figures Say? The Scale of Migration from Çorum to Ankara
The number of people living in Ankara whose civil registration is in Çorum is given slightly differently depending on the source. According to TÜİK data reported in the local and national press, the figure is 438,640; in the Ankara Chamber of Commerce's "Ankara in Figures" compilation it is 442,275. Both sources reach the same conclusion: people from Çorum are the largest group of "hemşehri" (people from the same home province) in Ankara. They make up around 7.4% of Ankara's population; roughly one in every 13 people living in the capital is registered in Çorum.
This number has continued to grow over time. According to an academic study (Çoban, 2016), the number of people from Çorum in Ankara was 336,694 in 2009; by 2025 it had reached around 440,000. For comparison, the population of Çorum's central district is 299,565. In other words, the people from Çorum in Ankara number around one and a half times the population of Çorum's central district.
Looking at annual migration flows:
- 2024: According to news reports citing Ankara Chamber of Commerce data, 8,386 people migrated from Çorum to Ankara and 3,486 people came from Ankara to Çorum. Çorum was the fourth-largest source of migrants to Ankara.
- 2025: According to the same source's latest compilation, Ankara received 4,980 people from Çorum and sent 3,569 people to Çorum. The flow is still towards Ankara, but noticeably more balanced than in 2024.
According to TÜİK's 2025 Internal Migration Statistics, the largest net losses in Çorum's out-migration were for the following reasons: finding a job or starting a business (−637), better housing and living conditions (−605), and migration linked to a household member (−595). Around 11 in every 100 people who leave the province do so to find work.
This difference between 2024 and 2025 is also consistent with the overall migration picture: according to TÜİK data, Çorum's net migration loss to other provinces was 6,728 people in 2024 and fell to 1,611 people in 2025. Even so, it is too early to say whether a single year's decline will turn into a lasting trend.
The limits of the data
There is an important detail here: being "registered in Çorum" does not mean that a person was born in Çorum or migrated from Çorum. Civil registration in Turkey is usually passed down through the father's side. A second or even third generation born and raised in Ankara may still appear as registered in Çorum. For this reason the figure of 440,000 shows not the number of people who migrated, but the size of a broad community with a registration link to Çorum. In addition, a detailed province-by-province breakdown showing how many people Çorum sent to which provinces in 2025 has not been reflected in the sources.
A Sociological Reading: Why Is Migration from Çorum to Ankara So Strong?
There are several possible factors that might explain the migration from Çorum towards Ankara. They should not be thought of as decisive on their own, but as conditions that feed into one another.
Geographical proximity. Ankara is a metropolis close to Çorum and connected to it by an uninterrupted road. Proximity makes migration feel less risky: the thought "If anything happens, I can come straight back" makes the decision easier.
Job and education opportunities. The capital's public institutions, universities, and service and construction sectors offer job and career options that are more limited in Çorum. Çoban's (2016) study notes that the large number of workers from Çorum, particularly in the construction sector, creates a pull for new arrivals.
Chain migration. According to the same study, those who leave first invite their relatives too. When an uncle, a cousin or a neighbour settles in Ankara, a place to stay, job connections and a social circle are ready for those who follow. This solidarity among people from the same province reduces the emotional cost of migration, but it also creates mutual obligations.
Expectation of a better life. The prominence of "better housing and living conditions" among the reasons for migration shows that migration is not just a matter of work; it also carries a hope related to schools for the children, access to health services and social opportunities.
A bond that continues across generations. The continued growth over the years in the number of people from Çorum in Ankara cannot be explained by new migration alone. Children and grandchildren born in Ankara mostly remain on the Çorum civil register as well. This shows that migration is not a one-off event but a bond that extends across generations. This bond is kept alive at weddings, funerals, gatherings of hometown associations and summer visits to the village.
A Psychological Reading: Living Between Two Cities
For someone from Çorum who has migrated to Ankara, home is often somewhere "far away but within reach". This closeness is an advantage; however, it can also bring its own particular emotional tensions.
"Neither fully here nor fully there"
Let us say an engineer in his thirties has been living in Ankara for ten years. His job, his home and his children's school are there. But he often goes to Çorum at weekends; his mother and father, the family's vineyard house and his childhood friends are there. In Ankara he does not feel fully settled, and when he goes to Çorum he is now welcomed rather like a guest. This feeling of "being caught in between" is one that many people who have migrated recognise. When identity is divided between two places, a person may at times feel that they do not fully belong anywhere.
The expectations that come with proximity
Because the distance is short, family expectations can also be high: "It's no distance at all, why didn't you come this week?" Every weekend, every religious holiday, every wedding and funeral can turn into a moment of decision. A person caught between their own immediate family, their work and their need for rest on the one hand, and the expectations of the family back home on the other, may feel guilt and burnout.
Weekend journeys and children
The short distance turns into regular weekend journeys for many families. These journeys can allow children to build a strong bond with their grandparents; the child grows up knowing their roots. On the other hand, spending every weekend on the road can also mean less time for the child's own friendships, need for rest and school preparation. When a teenager says "I don't want to come this week", tension can arise within the family. This objection is often not a stance against the hometown or the family, but a natural result of the young person's need to build their own social world. Keeping the frequency of visits flexible according to the children's age and needs helps to sustain the bond without turning it into an obligation.
The parents who stay behind
On the other side of migration are the parents who remain in Çorum. While their children lead established lives in Ankara, they gradually grow older and their health problems increase. Providing care from a distance means frequent phone calls, urgent journeys, following doctors' appointments from afar and coping with the feeling of "not being there for them". I discuss this subject in more detail in my article on children who leave and the parents who stay.
Homesickness and the hometown as a refuge
A short distance does not lessen longing; sometimes it only changes its shape. For someone who has had a difficult day in Ankara, Çorum can serve as a mental refuge: familiar streets, roasted chickpeas on the table, known faces. This can be a healthy bond that gives a person strength. However, idealising the hometown and constantly putting off putting down roots in the city where one lives can make it harder to form relationships and feel safe in the place where one actually is. I discussed this delicate balance in my article on homesickness.
The hometown gives strength as long as it is a place one can return to; when it is idealised as a place that cannot be returned to, it can overshadow the place where one actually lives.
The dream of "one day I'll go back"
Many of those who migrate carry, somewhere in their minds, a plan to return home when they retire or when the children have grown up. According to TÜİK's 2025 data, 1,161 people came to Çorum for the reason of "returning to family or hometown"; this is the largest category in which Çorum makes a net migration gain. The dream of returning can be a source of hope that makes the difficulties of living away bearable. However, living life as permanently "temporary" can make it harder to invest in the city where one lives, to form friendships there and to feel that one belongs. In addition, the hometown one returns to years later may be different from the hometown in one's memory; some acquaintances have gone and the streets have changed. Basing the decision to return on present-day conditions rather than an idealised past reduces the risk of disappointment.
Practical Suggestions for Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
For those thinking of moving to Ankara or who have just moved:
- Do not make the decision just because "everyone is going". Make a concrete plan regarding work, housing, transport and social support; keep your expectations realistic.
- See the hometown network as a starting point. A familiar circle is very valuable in the first months; but also try to build relationships in the new city through colleagues, neighbours and shared interests.
- Discuss the rhythm of visits from the outset. Talking openly with your family about how often you can see each other reduces resentments that may arise later.
For those who have lived in Ankara for a long time:
- See your dual identity as a source of richness. Being both from Ankara and from Çorum is not a contradiction; you can carry the values of both places together.
- Notice the feeling of guilt. Not being able to go home for every religious holiday does not make you a bad son or daughter. Setting boundaries is one way of protecting the relationship.
- Plan your parents' care with your siblings. The burden often falls on the child who lives closest to the hometown or who is seen as "the most responsible". Discussing the division of tasks openly also protects the relationship between siblings.
For families who stay in Çorum:
- Express your expectations, but do not turn them into pressure. Saying "We miss you, come whenever you're free" instead of "Aren't you coming?" softens the relationship.
- Keep your own social circle alive. Neighbourliness, visits to relatives and local activities ease the emptiness felt in the children's absence.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Migration is a life change that most people adapt to over time. Even short-distance moves such as migration from Çorum to Ankara, although they may be seen as unimportant because the distance is small, can leave deep marks on a person. If the following situations continue for a long time, seeking support may be helpful:
- If you have been feeling lonely, like a stranger and unhappy in the new city for months,
- If longing for home is noticeably affecting your daily tasks, your sleep or your productivity at work,
- If the feeling of being trapped between your family's expectations and your own life has turned into constant tension,
- If caring for your elderly parent from a distance leaves you feeling exhausted, guilty or helpless,
- If serious problems in your relationship with your spouse or children began with the move.
If feelings of loneliness and hopelessness have turned into thoughts of harming yourself, this is an emergency; call 112 (emergency services) or go to the nearest emergency department without delay.
How Are Migration and Belonging Addressed in Therapy?
Individual therapy offers a safe space to understand the mixed feelings that migration stirs up in a person. Topics commonly addressed in sessions include:
- Loss and grief: Recognising the often unnamed grief for the surroundings, habits and relationships left behind.
- Identity and belonging: Working with the question "Where do I feel I am from?" and integrating a dual identity.
- Guilt and boundaries: Finding a balance between a sense of responsibility towards the family and the right to live one's own life.
- Adjustment skills: Building social relationships in the new city and coping with loneliness.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps people notice thoughts such as "By leaving I betrayed my family" or "I can never be happy here" and develop a more balanced view. The schema therapy approach can contribute to understanding the roots of a sense of family obligation and a tendency towards self-sacrifice.
Alongside face-to-face sessions in Çorum, online sessions can also be a practical option for people who live in Ankara or another city and travel back and forth between two cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people from Çorum live in Ankara?
According to sources based on TÜİK data, between 438,000 and 442,000 people registered in Çorum were living in Ankara in 2025. This is the largest group of people from a single home province in Ankara. However, this number also includes people born in Ankara whose civil registration is in Çorum.
Why is migration from Çorum to Ankara so intense?
Geographical proximity, job and education opportunities in Ankara, and the network of people from the same province built by those who left earlier are counted among the main factors. In TÜİK's 2025 data, the largest net loss in Çorum's out-migration is seen in the category of finding work.
Is it normal to miss my hometown, or does it show that I have not adapted?
Missing your hometown is entirely natural and does not mean that you have not adapted. If longing prevents you for a long time from forming relationships in the city where you live, from doing your work or from getting on with daily life, it may be helpful to talk about it with a professional.
I feel guilty for not visiting my parents in Çorum enough; what can I do?
The feeling of guilt shows how much you value your family. Making a care and visiting plan with your siblings, having regular video calls and talking openly with your family about expectations can ease this burden. If the guilt has reached a level that makes your daily life difficult, you might consider seeking support.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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