IAOIZ, the Izmir Atatürk Organized Industrial Zone, is a significant economic hub and there is a major air force base.

Çiğ means dew in Turkish, a reference to the delta marshes of the River Gediz which used to cover the entire area.

It is a relatively recent settlement created largely by migration from other parts of Turkey, starting with Turkish refugees of the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878).

It was attached to İzmir's metropolitan area in 1981, first as a dependency of the district of Karşıyaka, and in 1992 it became a distinct entity with its own administrative structures.

[4] There are 26 neighbourhoods in Çiğli District:[5] IAOIZ, the Izmir Atatürk Organized Industrial Zone has 485 factories employing 30,000 people.

The sanctuary, which covers 80 square kilometres, was registered as "the protected area for water birds and for their breeding" by the Turkish Ministry of Forestry in 1982.