Samsun is a city on the north coast of Turkey and a major Black Sea port. 738 692 people live in the city. The city is the capital of Samsun Provi…Samsun is a city on the north coast of Turkey and a major Black Sea port. 738 692 people live in the city. The city is the capital of Samsun Province which has a population 1 382 376. The city is home to Ondokuz Mayıs University, several hospitals, three large shopping malls, Samsunspor football club, an opera house and a large and modern manufacturing district. The city is best known as the place where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk began the Turkish War of Independence in 1919.