Sincan, Ankara
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| Sincan | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Turkey |
| Region | Central Anatolia |
| Province | Ankara |
| Government | |
| - Governor | Ertan Yüksel |
| - Mayor | Hasan Altın |
| Area | |
| - District | 344 km² (132.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 855 m (2,805 ft) |
| Population (2000)[1] | |
| - District | 289,783 |
| - Density | 842.39/km² (2,181.8/sq mi) |
| - Urban | 267,879 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 06930 |
| Area code(s) | 0312 |
| Licence plate | 06 |
| Website: www.sincan.gov.tr | |
Sincan is a metropolitan district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, a large suburban town 27 km from the city of Ankara. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 289,783 of which 267,879 live in the urban center of Sincan.[1][2] The district covers an area of 344 km² (133 sq mi),[3] and the average elevation is 855 m (2,805 ft).
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[edit] Geography
Sincan stands on a plain surrounded by hills and watered by the Ankara River, a tributary of the Sakarya River. There is some agriculture and light industry in Sincan but there is a railway line to Ankara and most of the population commute to jobs in the city.
The symbol of the municipality is the tulip, the central square is called Lale Meydanı (Turkish for "tulip square"), and every year they have a tulip festival and hand out plastic tulips in the streets.
[edit] History
Since Sincan stands on the ancient Silk Road, the name is said to derive from Xinjiang Province in China, where even today some of population speak a Turkish dialect similar to those of the original Central Asian Turkic communities.[citation needed]
Even prior to the period of the Ottoman Empire a village stood in this location, which subsequently grew to a small town when, in 1950, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk commissioned a housing project here for Turkish refugees from Romania and Bulgaria.
In recent years Sincan has grown enormously with rapid immigration from many rural areas of Turkey. The town has especially attracted those with an aggressive conservative and religious outlook, thus Sincan is a stronghold for right-wing clubs, Islamic sects, and Islamist political parties. This was brought to light most famously in the political crisis of February 1997, when tanks rolled through the district (presumably as a warning to the people to respect the pressure being applied to the Islamist government of the time). More recent incidents include the pouring of green paint over the statue of Atatürk in the central square.
[edit] Well-known residents
- Şafak Sezer, actor and comedian
- Sinan Şamil Sam, professional boxer
- Abdürrahim Karakoç, poet
- Oğuz Yılmaz, folk musician
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Turkish Statistical Institute. Census 2000, Key statistics for urban areas of Turkey (XLS) (Turkish). Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ GeoHive. Statistical information on Turkey's administrative units (English). Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ Statoids. Statistical information on districts of Turkey (English). Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
[edit] References
- Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. Geographical information on Sincan, Turkey (English). Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- Municipality of Sincan, Turkey. General information on Sincan, Ankara (Turkish). Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
[edit] External links
- District governor's official website (Turkish)
- District municipality's official website (Turkish)
- Local news website (Turkish)
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