Susurluk

Susurluk is a small town and a district of Balıkesir Province in northwestern Turkey. It is famous for its production of soap and dairy products. The highway from İstanbul to İzmir passes through Susurluk. In Turkey Susurluk is known for its 'tost' (susurluk tostu) - a toasted cheese sandwich with tomato paste, and for its foamy ayran. The population was 23,995 in 2010. The mayor is Nurettin Güney (IYI).

Susurluk
Coordinates: 39°54′50″N 28°09′37″E
Country Turkey
ProvinceBalıkesir
Government
 • MayorNurettin Güney (IYI)
 • KaymakamOsman Ateş
Area
 • District644.82 km2 (248.97 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)[2]
 • Urban
23,544
 • District
40,323
 • District density63/km2 (160/sq mi)
Websitewww.susurluk.bel.tr

History

Originally, the place where Susurluk is now located was an empty area of forest and swamp belonging to Karasi Bey. Under Bey's grandchildren, it was managed as a farm called Susığırlık. Later, in 1634, with raiders coming from Karaman, Hacı Hatip Oğulları, settled here. While Susığırlık was only a farm, it began to serve as a rest stop for caravans passing to Bursa and Istanbul. Later, it became crowded with Bulgarian and Caucasian immigrants who migrated to Anatolia during the 1858 and 1878 Turkish-Russian war and Turkmen tribes that were later settled by Ahmed Vefik Pasha.

1996 scandal
Main article: Susurluk scandal

On 3 November 1996 a car crash in the town made news headlines as the dead and injured included a parliamentary deputy, a right-wing gang leader, a former beauty queen and a senior police officer.[3]

The resulting political and social turmoil has come to be known as the Susurluk scandal, and the accident was described as definite proof of a link between politics, organized crime and the bureaucracy, known in Turkish as the derin devlet ("deep state").

Several people, including three former special forces members, were convicted of illegal activities and served prison terms.

References
  1. "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  2. "Population of province/district centers and towns/villages by districts - 2012". Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  3. Lee, Martin A (1998-04-12). "Turkish Dirty War Revealed, but Papal Shooting Still Obscured". Los Angeles Times. p. M-2. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
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