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Susurluk
Found in: Towns in Turkey
Susurluk is a small town and a district of Balikesir Province in northwestern Turkey. It is famous for its production of olive oil, soap and dairy products.
In 1996 this township was home to a fatal car accident, after which it was found that among the slain and injured were one parliamentary deputy, a known right-wing gang leader, a former beauty queen, and a senior police officer.
The resulting political and social turmoil has come to be known as the Susurluk scandal, and the accident was described as definite proof of the link between politics, organized crime and the bureaucracy, referred to in Turkish politics as the derin devlet ("deep state").
Several people, including three ex-special forces members, were convicted of illegal activities and served prison terms.
Detailed background of the scandal may be found at: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/51/289.html
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Susurluk