Batman, Turkey

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Coordinates: 37°87′N 41°12′E

Batman, Turkey
Batman Overview
Batman Overview
Coat of Arms of Batman Municipality

Coat of Arms of Batman Municipality
Location in Turkey
Overview
Region Southeastern Anatolia Region, Turkey
Province Batman Province
Population 246,700 [] (2005)
Area 4,654 km²
Elevation 550 m
Coordinates 37°87′ N 41°12′ E
Postal code 72x xx
Area code 0488
Licence plate code 72
Mayor Hüseyin KALKAN (Democratic Society Party)
Website http://www.batman-bld.gov.tr/

Batman (short for Batı Raman Mountains), the provincial capital of Batman Province, Turkey, also known as Êlih or Iluh in Kurdish, is a city on the Batman River in the predominantly Kurdish[1][2] southeast of Turkey.

Contents

[edit] Government

The mayor of Batman is Hüseyin Kalkan, who is a member of the Democratic Society Party.

[edit] Economy

Batman Province is an important oil producing area, and Batman has Turkey's oldest refinery, established in 1955. A 494 km long pipeline transports crude oil from Batman to İskenderun. The railway track at nearby Kurtalan connects the city with Istanbul. There is also a regional airport near Batman.

[edit] History and demographics

Until the 1950s, Batman was a small village with a mostly Kurdish population. When oil companies moved in and the city's economy started to grow, population figures began to rise. Many Turkish workers and state officials settled in the city. Presently Batman has a high unemployment level. Famous Batman residents include Samao Teryk, David Methdoa & Isaael Iyak.

[edit] Recent clashes

According to the EU-Turkey Civic Commission Submission on Recent Violence, on March 30, 2006, Fatih Tekin, a 3 year old boy, was shot and killed by Turkish Security forces during a police raid on a civilian house in Batman during a series of violent clashes in the Kurdish regions of Turkey.[3]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Turkey does not register ethnicity in census, and there are thus no verifiable official figures. See Kurdish people.
  2. ^ Distribution of Kurdish PeopleGlobalSecurity.org
  3. ^ EU-Turkey Civic Commission Submission on Recent Violence on khrp.org

[edit] External links


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Coordinates: 37°53′N 41°07′E