Tektonik bakımdan hareketli, aktif deprem kuşağı üzerinde yer alan ve jeotermal kaynaklar bakımından zengin olan Türkiye'de, önemli termal turizm potansiyeli olan Termal Turizm merkezlerinden biri de Diyarbakır Çermik Kaplıcaları'dır. İlçe merkezinin Hamambaşı mevkiinde bulunan Çermik Kaplıcaları, Melike Belkıs Kaplıcaları olarak ta bilinmektedir. 51 °C su sıcaklığına sahip olan kaplıcalar, çevresindeki yakın illerden yoğun ziyaretçi akınına uğramaktadır. Bu araştırmada Diyarbakır ilinin Çermik İlçe Merkezinde bulunan Çermik Kaplıcaları'nın oluşunda etkili olan fizik faktörler incelenerek, termal turizm potansiyelinin belirlenmesi açısından fiziksel, sosyo-kültürel ve mevcut rekreasyonel yapısının analizi yapılmış ve turistlerin Çermik termal turizmi ile ilgili düşünceleri değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak turist profilini ölçmek, katılımcıların termal turizm ve Çermik Kaplıcaları'nı tercih etmelerine ilişkin görüşlerini, eğilim ve gereksinimlerini tespit etmek amacıyla 2013 yılı yaz aylarında 151 kişiye 15 soruluk bir anket uygulanmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini Çermik Kaplıcaları'ndan faydalanan ve kaplıcalar çevresindeki otel ve pansiyon niteliğindeki konaklama tesislerinde kalan 151 turist oluşturmaktadır. Anket sonuçları değerlendirilip dikkate alınarak Çermik kaplıcaları ve çevresine yönelik olarak rekreasyonel ve turistik fiziksel planlama önerileri getirilmiştir. Verilerin analiz edilmesinde SPSS programı kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca yöredeki arazi gözlemleri esnasında kaplıcalara gelen turistler, konaklama işletmecileri, yerel yöneticiler ve yetkililer ile görüşmeler yapılmış ve coğrafya biliminin sebep-sonuç ve bağlantılar ilkeleri çerçevesinde sonuçlara ulaşılarak öneriler sunulmuştur.

Diyarbakır, Çermik Hot Springs, is one of the most important Thermal Tourism center of Turkey that has thermal tourism potential, is located on tectonically effective, active sismic zone and rich in terms of geothermal resources. Çermik thermal springs located in Hamambaşı, in the center of the town, aldo known as Melike Belkis Hot Springs. The hot springs which thermal water's temperature is 51 °C, attract heavy influx of visitors from around the neighboring provinces. In this study physical, socio cultural and recreational structure were analyzed to determine tourism potential with examining the physical factors that effect the occurence of Çermik Hot Springs, located in the center of Çermik district, Diyarbakır. Some of the hot springs in Anatolia are also used extensively for treatment in Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman period. Çermik thermal spa heavily used among the Ottoman era. Büyükpaşa and Küçükpaşa baths located in the Hamambaşı that Çermik thermal spa is located there too, proves that Çermik Hot Springs used past to present significantly Hot springs gives opportunity to benefit from atural resources in our country that are far from meeting the recreational needs of visitors, although Turkey, with its hot springs and drinking aspects of rich resources, climatic conditions, However Balçova (İzmir), Yalova, Gönen (Balıkesir), Sandıklı (Afyon) thermal springs located in different regiongs of our country, have relatively modern spa facilities. But especially, situation of hot springs located in the east and southeast of country is not encouraging. Therefore the lack of modern facilities in these regions is the biggest factor help existing bath culture intensely in hot springs Diyarbakir Cermik Springs, was declared (according to the Official Gazette No. 21731 and October 17, 1993) as Diyarbakir Çermik Thermal Tourism Center in 1993. Despite being one of the most important center of Turkey that has thermal tourism potential, consedering the tourist profile of Diyarbakır, Çermik Hot Springs, almost all of the tourists come from within the country, while those coming from within country also come from mostly surrounding provinces. In this case it also reveals that the promotions of thermal springs made by local goverments are not enough. In order to develop Çermik Hot Springs press-relaase publicity should be considered. In summer 2013, 15-question survey was applied to 151 people as a data collection tool to measure tourist profile, to determine why participants choosed thermal tourism and Çermik Hot Springs, what are their trends and needs. The study sample consist of 151 tourists, benefited from thermal springs and staying in hotels or hostels around the Çermik Hot Springs. The survey results are evaluated and taken into account, recreational and touristic physical planning proposals have been developed for Çermik Hot Springs and surroundings. SPSS program was used to analyze the data. In addition during field observations in the area results and suggesstions were obtained through interviews with tourists, accommodation operators, local administrators and officials within the framework of cause-effect link that the principle of geography. This study shows differences according to several studies in the field of thermal tourism in terms of implementation of survey question, interpretation of the answers, testing the relations and reliability between SPSS and answers. The positive effect of annual temperature is 15 ° C over, the average monthly temperature dows not fall below 0 ° C during the year around Çermik , reveals positive effect of extension of period except fort he summer that will be benefit from Çermik thermal springs, therefore, in terms of benefit for 12 months from the spa. However, spas are usually prefered from the end of the spring to summer and over a 4-5 months period until the beginning of autumn. The % 21,9 of survey participants are from city center and towns of Diyarbakır. This rate effectuates more than one out of five participants. When Diyarbakır and Çermik which is near to Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and Mardin participants under debate the ones come to thermal facilities constitute more than half of total with %54,3. Siirt, Adıyaman, Elazığ, Şırnak and Batman constitute the other close cities. Whereat most of the people who goes to thermal facilities comes from close cities. People who goes to Çermik thermal facilities, %70 of them had been advised from their relatives, %21 of them had been advised from their friends. Ones who had been advised from doctors or mass media are so rare. %30 of people who participated to the survey mentioned that they go to the thermal facilities to be healtier and %25 of them mentioned they go because of resting. The ones who shipped from a health institute or just being companion are rare. %44 of participants go for treatment of rheumatism and they think thermal facilities are important for the theraphy. %81,5 in another words 4/5 of people take a rest in their free times, and %20 of them read newspaper, magazine, book or shopping, walking, watching tv or spending time in facility. And this shows reality of Turkey. Unfortunately, Turkish people dont read in their free times no matter where they are. People who attended to the survey %48,3 of them mentioned that it was their first time in Çermik thermal facilities, %51,7 of them if it was second or more times in facility. So who came second or more times was pleased from facility that they came again. Çermik facility is an affluent thermal source. But it has not modern plants. Because of this facility needs to be improved to attract tourists and to contribute town economy. Moreover it needs new investments to get build thermal hotel, thermal pools, baths, sauna, cure and healt institutes. Whereby the facility may achieve an adequate level with integrated plants.Due to the hotels around thermal facilities and thermaes usually have not tourism ministry business documents but municipality business documents, their service’s quailty is not enough. In order to increase the quality of services, regular inspections should be made by the institutions concerned and the serving staff should be trained in tourism. The park which is near the Çermik thermal facility was built by Çermik municipality as a recreation area, aimed for the visitors of the facility can spend their free times except treatment. But there is no commercial areas for the visitors who come to the Çermik thermal facility. Çermik thermal facility may have usage areas not only for the visitors who can spend their times but also for the Çermik citizens who can provide income. Due to the therapeutic property of Çermik thermal water, it was a treatment unit of Dicle University Physical Treatment and Rehabilitation Department until 2008. But Çermik thermal is inactive now. With the collaboration of Çermik municipality and Dicle University, this thermal facility must be opened again as a complementary unit of health tourism. Although some drilling researchs had been done in Çermik thermal facility area in the past, they could not detect thermal water source and total potential of it. Due to this reason, before great investments, its neccessary to do some actual research about thermal water source and potential with supports of MTA and universities. The problem is environmental pollution around the Thermal Tourism Center Area. The wastes create pollunation risk for the water source. For the evaluation of tourist contentment grade and tourism development about protection-usage balance; both accomodation facilities and removal of tourism plants wastes out of natural reserve protection area are recommended. Thermae promotion brochures and books have been published by Çermik municipality for the Çermik thermae which is in the Thermal Tourism Center Area. These kind of promotings of either regional or local media may cause knowing and creating awareness about Çermik thermal facility.