Çorlu is a town in the province of Tekirdağ just 38km or half an hours driving from the city of Tekirdag. With its close proximity to Istanbul it has rapidly developed as an industrial city close to the Greek and Bulgarian border with good highway access. Corlu is well known for its textiles with brand names such as Mavi Jeans having factories here. It also produces food and drinks such as Coca Cola and Unilever products such as Algida ice cream and Calve are all produced here. Hewlett Packard also have a factory here.

Corlu is home to many people from Istanbul who have left the big city and found work and a home here instead. In Roman and Byzantine times the town would have been called Tzouroulos or Syrallo. It came under the control of the Ottomans under Sultan Murad I and became an important trading post. With the decline of the Ottoman Empire it fell under control of the Russians briefly and then the Bulgarians captured it during the first Balkan War in 1913. During the Turkish War of Independence it was also under the control of the Greeks for a time. It became part of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

Todays Corlu has a larger population than the provinces administration centre of Tekirdağ. This is in part due to the exodus of Turks from Bulgaria in 1989 and subsequent work migrants from other regions who came to work in the new factories. With all the hallmarks of an up and coming city there are new apartment blocks and shopping areas with fast food restaurants and a new mall called Orion Mall. This is a conservative city with very little in the way of nightlife or cultural activities.

Places to stay

Öğretmenevi: Muhittin Mahallesi. Şinasi Kurşun Caddesi. No:5/1. Çorlu. Tel: 0282 651 95 14