Yukarıkurudere, Emirdağ

Yukarıkurudere is a village in the Emirdağ District, Afyonkarahisar Province, Turkey. Its population is 487 (2021). Yukarıkurudere is located south of Mount Emirdağ, about 1276 meters above sea level. It is located at the Foothills of Dedeli mountain. The village includes 3 neighbourhoods: Palıtlı, Mazı and Mahrumlu.

The name Yukarıkurudere means Upper Dry Creek. A dry creek runs through the village.

History
In the past the village was united with Aşağıkurudere (Lower Dry Creek) but they split because of the distance between them. The name of the village before the split was Kurudere. Both Yukarıkurudere and Aşağıkurudere were established after 3 Yörük (Turkish nomadic) brothers migrated from Yozgat in 1796.

Emigration
The majority of the people emigrated to Europe from 1965 to 1990. Most moved to Belgium, while others landed in The Netherlands, Germany and France. The first to migrate to Europe was Hasan Palıt, followed by Gazi Palıt, also known as Gazi Hoca.

2010 Derbent-Kurudere water crisis
When a water source was found between Yukarıkurudere and Derbent in 2010, both villages claimed the water source, launching a conflict. The court awarded the water source to Derbent. After this decision the Yukarikurudere village held a referendum in 2012 to join the Kemerkaya village so they could have access to water. The citizens voted "No" by four votes.

Demographics
The village is an Oghuz village. The majority of the people are from the Morcalı tribe, which is a subtribe of the Avşar Tribe. They belong to the Bozulus tribal confederation.

The village hosts around 8 family clans (Palıt, Söyüt, Kavak, Karakoç, Karakaya, Aktaş, Cıvık and Akın).

Cave treasures
A "palace" in local caves has many treasures from Byzantine and Ottoman barons who lived there. The caves are guarded by the gendarmerie and many cameras.

Economy
The economy of Yukarıkurudere is mostly agriculture and animal husbandry. Grain crops include barley, wheat, rye, chickpeas, lentil, vetch and sunflower.