Böğürtlen is a village located in the central district (Merkez) of Tunceli Province, Turkey. The settlement lies within the Eastern Anatolia Region at an elevation of approximately 828 meters above sea level and is situated about 27 kilometers from the provincial capital, Tunceli.
Administrative status
The village is administered by a muhtar (village head) and an elder council (İhtiyar Heyeti). Historically it was part of Pertek District but was transferred to the jurisdiction of Tunceli central district by a decision of the Ministry of Interior on 11 February 1992.
Historical background
The earliest documented reference to the settlement dates to the Ottoman tax registers of 1530, in which it appears under the name “Havsik” as part of the Vasgirt nahiyes (sub‑district) within the Çemişkezek sanjak. In the 1541 register, the village was recorded as being inhabited by 19 households belonging to the Havsikkürd community.
During the early Republican period, the 1935 census listed the area as two separate villages—Hafsigiulya (Upper) and Hafsigisüfla (Lower)—both within Pertek nahiyes. Subsequent censuses recorded various Turkish‑language forms of the name: “Yukarıhafsik” (1940), “Hafsikler” (1945, 1950, 1955). As part of a nationwide toponymic standardisation effort, the official name was changed to Böğürtlen in the 1960 census.
Demography
Population figures for recent years are as follows:
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 245 |
| 2008 | 243 |
| 2009 | 227 |
| 2010 | 225 |
| 2011 | 221 |
| 2012 | 219 |
| 2013 | 208 |
| 2014 | 192 |
| 2015 | 168 |
| 2016 | 161 |
| 2017 | 147 |
| 2018 | 146 |
| 2019 | 142 |
These data indicate a gradual decline in the village’s inhabitants over the past decade.
Geography and infrastructure
Böğürtlen is situated in the mountainous terrain of Eastern Anatolia. The local area code is 0428, the vehicle registration plate number for Tunceli Province is 62, and the postal code is 62000. The village observes Turkey Standard Time (UTC+03:00).
References
- Turkish Wikipedia article “Böğürtlen, Tunceli” (accessed via Jina AI extraction).
- Ottoman tax registers (1530, 1541) cited in historical records.
- Population statistics from Turkish Statistical Institute (TSİ) censuses.
Note: All information presented is derived from publicly available sources and reflects the current scholarly consensus as of the latest accessed data.