X-Nico

100 unusual facts about Ankara


1959 in Afghanistan

The Ariana Afghan Airlines extend their services from Kabul to Frankfurt, Germany, through Ankara, Turkey, and Prague, Czechoslovakia.

2010 Turkish Figure Skating Championships

The competition took place between 8 January and 10 January in Ankara.

2011 Albanian opposition demonstrations

A fourth person died several days later in a hospital in Ankara, Turkey.

5 Fingers

He would photograph top-secret documents and turn the films over to Franz von Papen, the former German chancellor, at that time German ambassador in Ankara, via the intermediary Moyzisch, a commercial attaché at the embassy.

Adil Doğançay

His works were also shown at the prestigious annual State Painting and Sculpture exhibitions in Ankara.

Adjar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

A brief military conflict in March 1921 prompted the government in Ankara to cede the territory to Georgia as a consequence of Article VI of the Treaty of Kars, with the condition for autonomy to be provided for the Muslim population.

Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud

Organized by the government of Turkey in Ankara, the meeting ended with a signed agreement between the new Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Mohamoud agreeing to allocate fairly to the Somaliland region its portion of the development aid earmarked for Somalia as a whole and to cooperate on security.

Akhtar Jamal

Pakistan Press Agency (PPA) was established in 1990 in Karachi by Mr. Akhtar Jamal (who served several reputed international news organizations for more than ten years in Ankara, Vienna and Beirut) as its Chief Executive and Mr. M. N. Deen, (who had retired as director of Press & Information Department, Government of Pakistan) as its managing editor.

Alaattin Ali of Karaman

However, few years later following the defeat of Beyazıt by Timur in the battle of Ankara the beylik was restored.

Altınpark

Altınpark is in Altındağ district of Ankara, situated on the way connecting Ankara to Ankara airport.

Angora, Philadelphia

The neighborhood was founded by Robert and George Callaghan in 1863, who named it for Ankara, the city in Turkey.

Arnold W. Braswell

In February 1973, Braswell assumed command of the United States Logistics Group in Ankara, Turkey.

Aydoğan Babaoğlu

After his graduation from the Air War College in 1976, Babaoğlu has been assigned to the 4th Main Jet Base in Ankara, where he served in different positions including Squadron Commander.

Azmiye Hami Güven

Azmiye Hami Güven (Konya, 1904 - Ankara, 1954) was a Turkish woman novelist.

Bahar Mert

She was a member of the Women's National Team that won the silver medal at the 2003 European Championship in Ankara.

Bashy Quraishy

Since November 2007, Quraishy is Chairman of ENAR’s Advisory Council, Chair of the European Platform for Jewish Muslim Co-operation, member of the "Board of Trustees" of the Dutch Foundation " More colour in the media", General Secretary of the network, EMISCO - European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion and Member - Advisory Board - Migration Research Centre - Hacettepe University - Ankara, Turkey.

Bayramiye

Bayrami, Bayramiye, Bayramiyya, Bayramiyye, and Bayramilik refer to a Turkish Sufi order (tariqah) founded by Hajji Bayram (Hacı Bayram-ı Veli) in Ankara around the year 1400 as a combination of Khalwatī, Naqshbandī, and Akbarī Sufi Orders.

Bektashi Order

Bektashis continue to be active in Turkey and their semi-clandestine organizations can be found in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

Berk Akın

As of the 2012-13 term, he is a student of 11th grade at Bahçelievler Deneme High School in Ankara.

Berliner AK 07

On 6 July 2006 the club adopted the name Berlin Ankaraspor Kulübü 07 and selected Ahmet Gökcek, son of the mayor of Ankara, as chairman.

Bulgarian Exarchate

Exarch Antim I was discharged by the Ottoman government immediately after the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78 on April 24, 1877, and was sent into exile in Ankara.

Byzantium

To this day it remains the largest and most populous city in Turkey (the successor to the Ottoman Empire), although Ankara is now the national capital.

Cihangir Akşit

In 1994, he began serving as the Chief of the Personnel Management Branch for the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey (TGS) in Ankara.

Clemens Holzmeister

In 1926 he oversaw the remodelling of the Festival Theatre in Salzburg, then spent several years erecting government buildings in Ankara, Turkey.

Clement of Ancyra

Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Ancyra or simply Clement of Ancyra (c. 258-312) (born in Ancyra present-day Turkey) was a bishop who served during the rule of Roman emperor Diocletian.

Conference of London

Bekir Sami Kunduh, representative of Ankara, insisted that the delegate from Istanbul could not enter the negotiations, and rejected the use of Sêvres as the basis of the talks.

Cooperative education

TOBB University of Economics and Technology in Ankara, Turkey was the first university to offer cooperative education in Turkey.

Critical-Creative Thinking and Behavioral Research Laboratory

Critical-Creative Thinking and Behavioral Research Laboratory (ELYADAL) was founded in March 2002 as a branch in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences in Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey.

Didem Akın

Didem Akın, (born May 1, 1971) in Ankara, Turkey Fenerbahce Women’s Basketball Team Manager and former basketball player (Pivot/Combo Guard).

Dündar Kılıç

He moved to Ankara with his family when he was nine years old, and got his first gun a year later.

Edmond Rugova

Edmond Rugova's first international match as coach of the Kosovo national football team was the international friendly against Saudi Arabia to be played on 15 June 2007, in Ankara, Turkey.

Ege Maltepe

She started her education in history at Boğaziçi University and interrupted in 2002, when she began her Bachelor of Arts degree at Bilkent University's Music and Performing Arts Department's Acting Program, in Ankara.

Elections for Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey

The number of metropolitan centers was three in 1984 (Ankara, İstanbul and İzmir) and eight in 1989 (with Adana, Bursa, Gaziantep, Kayseri and Konya).

Ercüment Kafkasyalı

Ercüment Kafkasyalı (born 13 September 1985 in Ankara, Turkey) is a Turkish football player.

Erhan Namlı

Erhan Namlı (born 7 May 1974 in Ankara) is a Turkish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Çankırı Belediye Spor in the TFF Second League.

Ernest Mamboury

Throughout his life in Istanbul, which lasted for more than forty years until his death in 1953, Mamboury dedicated most of his literary works on the Byzantine structures of this city, as well as other significant historic monuments in Istanbul and Ankara.

Esenboğa International Airport

The airport is connected with Kızılay (the city center) and Ankara Intercity Bus Terminal (Turkish: Ankara Şehirlerarası Terminal İşletmesi, AŞTİ) by EGO city bus number 442 (from 6 am to 11pm).

First Geography Congress, Turkey

The First Geography Congress, which was held in Ankara in 1941, separated Turkey into seven geographical regions, which are still used today.

Formula-G

The last race was done in Ankara, Turkey on 2007.The first and second positions in this year was held by the teams of Istanbul Technical University.

François Zoko

After 55 games and scoring 11 goals, Zoko was contacted by several teams in the Jupiler League but decided to join the Ankara club for a new challenge in the Turkcell Süper Lig.

Frank Stapleton

Stapleton made his international debut under then player-manager Johnny Giles in a friendly against Turkey in Ankara in 1976 at 20 years of age.

Frederic Bennett

He was sometime President of the Anglo-Turkish Society - he had an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Istanbul, 1984, and was granted the Freedom of the City of Ankara in 1992.

Galibi Order

The Order's central dargah is in Ankara and it has various branches throughout Turkey (e.g., Istanbul, Çorum, Adana, Gaziantep, Kütahya, Isparta, Antalya).

Gordian I

In Ankara Turkey, a funeral inscription has been found that names a Sempronia Romana, daughter of a named Sempronius Aquila (an imperial secretary).

Harriet Alexander Field

Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Harriet Alexander Field is assigned ANK (formerly 0V2) by the FAA and SLT by the IATA (which assigned ANK to Etimesgut Airport in Ankara, Turkey).

Harun Tekin

Sami Harun Tekin (born 28 June 1977 in Ankara, Turkey) is a Turkish singer, musician, and poet.

Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf

Thus, the Quraish engaged in trade in Yemen, Syria and Ankara which allowed them to flourish economically.

Henry L. Roosevelt

After retiring in 1920, he served as the European manager for the Radio Corporation of America from 1923 to 1928 and oversaw the building of large radio stations at Ankara, Turkey, and Warsaw, Poland.

Illuyanka

This version is illustrated on a relief which was discovered at Malatya (dating from 1050-850 BC) and is on display in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, Turkey.

Imru' al-Qais

After leaving Constantinople, Imru' al-Qais travelled until he fell ill near the city of Ankara in modern-day Turkey.

International Association of Wagner Societies

Wagner societies can be found in all parts of the world, including Venice, Great Britain, Shanghai, Tokyo, Lisbon, Melbourne, Adelaide, Ankara, New York, Toronto, Cape Town, Bangkok, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

International Strategic Research Organization

Center for Middle East and Africa Studies (CMEAS - ODAM) is located in Ankara.

J-600T Yıldırım

CPMIEC officials have confirmed at the IDEF 2007 military fair in Ankara that B-611M, the improved version of B-611, was not a part of the Sino-Turkish cooperation program.

James W. Spain

James W. Spain (July 22, 1926 – January 2, 2008) was in the US Foreign Service with postings in Karachi, Islamabad, Istanbul, Ankara, Dar Es Salaam, and Colombo and four ambassadorships in Tanzania, Turkey, the United Nations (as deputy permanent representative), and Sri Lanka.

Joe Waters

On 13 October 1976, he made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland national football team in a friendly match against Turkey in Ankara.

Joseph J. Sisco

Shuttling between Athens and Ankara, he helped tamp down war rumblings between the two countries.

Józef Piłsudski Institute of America

An affiliate of the Institute was also established in Ankara through a group of politicians, among them Michał Sokolnicki.

Kavaklıdere

Kavaklıdere, Ankara, a metropolitan district of Turkey's capital city, Ankara

Kaykhusraw III

The throne of Kaykhusraw III, a fine example of Seljuq woodcarving, survives in the Ethnography Museum of Ankara.

Kerem Kabadayı

He was born on December 20, 1977, in Ankara, Turkey, to Ülkü (Yulku) Kabadayı and his wife Müjde.

Kızılay

Kızılay, Ankara, a neighborhood of Ankara, and one of the primary nerve centers of the city

Kızılay Meydanı

Kızılay Meydanı (Kızılay Square) is one of the most important centers and junction points of Ankara, Turkey

Laser hair removal

A study conducted in 2000 at the ASVAK Laser Center in Ankara, Turkey comparing alexandrite laser and electrolysis for hair removal on 12 patients concluded that laser hair removal was 60 times faster, less painful and more reliable than electrolysis.

Mada Communication

In December 2010, Mada signed an agreement in Ankara as a part of a regional consortium to initiate a 7,750 km Regional Cable Network (“RCN”) Project marking the beginning of a new era in the region.

Mesut İktu

Mesut İktu (Ankara, 22 May 1947) is a Turkish operatic baritone, administrator and voice teacher.

Mircea I of Wallachia

The defeat of Sultan Beyazid I by Timur Lenk (Tamerlane) at Ankara in the summer of 1402 opened a period of anarchy in the Ottoman Empire and Mircea took advantage of it to organize together with the Hungarian king a campaign against the Turks.

Murat Karayalçın

He is a former foreign minister (1994–1995), deputy prime minister, and a former mayor of Ankara (1989–1993).

He was nominated by the Republican People's Party (CHP) as candidate for mayor of Ankara in the 2009 local elections, in which he gained 31.50% of all votes.

Mustafa Akaydın

Mustafa Akaydın was born in 1952 and received his primary and secondary education in Ankara and Istanbul.

Neven Mimica

Between 1979 and 1997 he held positions in various governmental bodies related to foreign relations and foreign trade policies, including several counselling positions at embassies in Cairo and Ankara.

Nicolás Peric

On January 7, 2008, it was confirmed that, Chilean goalkeeper would play for Gençlerbirliği in Ankara, Turkey.

Nil Karaibrahimgil

Nil Karaibrahimgil Erener (born 17 October 1976 in Ankara, Turkey), also popularly known simply as Nil (Turkish for the Nile), is a well known Turkish singer and songwriter mostly noted for her distinct lyrics.

Orhan

Orhan did not continue with any other conquests in Anatolia except taking over Ankara from the commercial-religious fraternity guild of Ahis.

Osman Faruk Loğoğlu

Loğoğlu is currently the president of the Eurasian Strategic Studies Center (ASAM), one of the leading think tanks in Turkey, headquartered in Ankara.

Peace Mothers

In August 2009 a group of Peace Mothers organised a peace march from Diyarbakir and Ankara and held a sit-in protest near the Turkish General Staff headquarters in Ankara.

Photinus

Photinus grew up in Ancyra in Galatia, where he was a student and later a deacon of bishop Marcellus.

Res Gestae Divi Augusti

Many copies of the text were made and carved in stone on monuments or temples throughout the Roman Empire, some of which have survived; most notably, almost a full copy, written in the original Latin and a Greek translation was preserved on a temple to Augustus in Ancyra (the Monumentum Ancyranum of Ankara, Turkey); others have been found at Apollonia and Antioch, both in Pisidia.

Satvinder S. Juss

He was also Consultant in April 2009 to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in a programme funded by the British Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on issues of expulsion, re-admission and voluntary return of migrants.

Selahattin Özmen

An associate professor at the Gazi University in Ankara, he led the team that performed in 2012 Turkey's third face transplant.

Selda Bağcan

Upon the death of her father in 1957, the rest of the family moved to Ankara.

Selim Erdoğan

The early pieces of poetry by Erdoğan appeared in Aylık Dergi, published in Ankara, from 1982.

Upon graduation, he became a public employee, and, after a brief spell in Ankara, he chose to return to Elazığ, where he continued to work at the regional section of the same government office, the job he still holds.

Serdar Nasır

An associate professor at the Hacettepe University Medical School in Ankara, he led the team that performed in February 2012 the second full face transplant in Turkey.

Sir Percy Loraine, 12th Baronet

He became close to Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk while serving in Ankara, which improved the relations between the two countries.

Solo Türk

Its first public display was held on April 15, 2011 over the Akıncı Air Base in Ankara in the presence of President Abdullah Gül, senior officials and officers.

Şükrü Enis Regü

Later he settled in Ankara as the Children's Editor for Ulus newspaper, the leading national daily of that period.

SYHK

After six years of development work, four units were delivered on September 14, 2011 in Ankara.

Synod of Ancyra

The Synod of Ancyra was an ecclesiastical council, or synod, convened in Ancyra (modern-day Ankara, the capital of Turkey), the seat of the Roman administration for the province of Galatia, in 314.

TAI/AgustaWestland T129

On 17 August 2011, Turkish Aerospace Industries announced the first successful flight of the T129 prototype "P6", that was produced at its facilities in Ankara, Turkey.

Tanju Çolak

In January 1994, he began a prison sentence of four years and eight months for illegally smuggling a Mercedes-Benz car into Ankara.

The Incandescent Ones

Trying to leave the hospital, he is picked up outside and driven to a house in Ankara where he is interrogated by Russians.

Turac

Returning to his castle in Ankara, Turac slew his wife and son, though his daughter Elianne was not killed.

Turkish alphabet

In 1939, the First Turkish Publications Congress was organized in Ankara for discussing issues such as copyright, printing, progress on improving the literacy rate and scientific publications, with the attendance of 186 deputies.

Turkish Council of State shooting

The Turkish Council of State shooting was a 2006 incident in which gunman Alparslan Arslan entered the Turkish Council of State building in Ankara and shot dead one judge and injured four others.

Ulucanlar Prison Museum

In 2006, the inmates of the closed prison section were transferred to a newly built prison in Sincan, Ankara.

Walter J. D. Annand

Annand was awarded a DSc in 1972 in which year, sponsored by the British Council, he was engaged as Visiting Professor in Engineering at the Middle East Technical University, at Ankara, Turkey.

Winfred P. Lehmann

He served as Director of the Georgetown English Language Program in Ankara, Turkey in 1955–56, as Chairman of the Linguistics Delegation to the People's Republic of China in 1974, and as Co-Chairman of the Commission on Humanities and Social Sciences to the People's Republic of China in 1981.

Yıldız İbrahimova

She married Ali Dinçer, a leading Turkish politician, also born in Bulgaria and former mayor of Ankara in 1993.

Zabrus sublaevis

Zabrus sublaevis is a species of black coloured ground beetle in the Pelor subgenus that is endemic to Ankara, Turkey.

Zeynep Koltuk

She started her career as presented in 2007 in the Turkish state channel TRT presenting the program "Bir Başka Ankara" (A different Ankara).


1962 Turkish Airlines Taurus Mountains crash

The 1962 Turkish Airlines Taurus Mountains crash occurred on 8 March 1962 at 17:43 local time (15:43 UTC) when a Turkish Airlines Fairchild F-27 airliner, registration TC-KOP, on a scheduled domestic flight from Esenboğa Airport (ESB/LTAC) in Ankara to Adana Airport (ADA/LTAF), flew into the Bolkar Mountains on approach to landing.

9th of September Express

In the 1980s the İzmir Blue Train was added making 3 daily trains between İzmir and Ankara.

Akçataş

Akçataş, Kalecik, a village in the district of Kalecik, Ankara Province

Ali Bardakoğlu

He met with Pope Benedict XVI on November 28, 2006 in Ankara to help further interfaith dialog between Catholics and Muslims.

Anadolu Agency

After Istanbul came under occupation on March 16, 1920 and the Ottoman parliament was annulled, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk called on all provinces to hold elections for a new parliament to be established in Ankara.

Çankaya

Çankaya University, a university in Çankaya district of Ankara, Turkey

Çeltek

Çeltek, Gölbaşı, a village in the district of Gölbaşı, Ankara Province

Dimitrios Gounaris

After the successful Greek advance towards Eskişehir and Afyon in July, he urged the continuation of the advance towards Ankara, which was however stopped in the Battle of Sakarya.

Doğankaya

Doğankaya, Şereflikoçhisar, a village in the district of Şereflikoçhisar, Ankara Province

Gökdere

Gökdere, Kalecik, a village in Kalecik district of Ankara Province

Kozağaç

Kozağaç, Beypazarı, a village in the district of Beypazarı, Ankara Province

Melih Gökçek

Speaking at the ceremony, WWO's board member Elaine Valdov said that Ankara had experienced a serious water shortage problem from 2007 to 2008, and "Kızılırmak River Rehabilitation Project" had been initiated under the guidance of Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek to solve the matter.

During 2007 water crisis of Ankara, he suggested the water be transported from Kızılırmak.

Mithatpaşa Avenue

As a result of series of plans (like that of Lörcher in 1925s and that of Hermann Jansen in 1930s) new Ankara was developed.

Necip Torumtay

On 24 June 2011, Necip Torumtay suffered symptoms of coronary artery spasm during his stay at the Aksaz Naval Base in Marmaris, and was transferred to the Gülhane Military Hospital, Ankara, by an air ambulance.

Uçarı

Uçarı, Kazan, a village and neighborhood in the district of Kazan, Ankara Province

Ulus Square

(Atatürk is the founder of modern Turkey, Çankırı is the name of a city to the north of Ankara, Cumhuriyet means Republic and Anfartalar was the location of a critical battle during the Gallipoli Campaign.)

Yılanlı

Yılanlı, Çamlıdere, a village in the district of Çamlıdere, Ankara Province, Turkey