"Invariably, survivors said it was their kader, or destiny, to meet such an end."
"When wrong boyfriends or clothes lead daughters to kill themselves," by Helena Smith for The Guardian:
Nuran Uca never made it to 61 Aydin Arslan Street. If she had gone to the colourful two-storey building, climbed its narrow stairwell, walked down a corridor and sat in the plump brown armchair that so many other women had used, she might be alive today. There, with counsellors from the Kam-er support group, she could have talked about the "crime" of falling in love with a man she could never marry.
Instead, on June 14 the Kurdish woman succumbed to the phenomenon that is claiming lives in this Kurdish area of south-east Anatolia: she hanged herself in the bathroom of her home.
"She was just 25 but it was especially tragic because both were teachers, educated people," said Remziye Tural at Kam-er, the women's organisation that has become a lifeline in Turkey's poor south-east for those who face death because of a perception of dishonour. "She was modern and wore tight clothes - which is why his family rejected her.
She was banned by her parents from seeing or speaking to him, and then they stopped her leaving the house. In the end the pressure was too much."
[...]
Invariably, survivors said it was their kader, or destiny, to meet such an end.
But women's groups and human rights advocates believe the suicides are tantamount to murder. Stories have emerged of girls as young as 12 being locked in rooms for days with rope, poison or a pistol.
"There's a lot of evidence to suggest that these are, in fact, 'honour killings' passed off as suicides - that these girls are being forced to take their own lives," said Aytekin Sir, a psychiatrist who has studied the practice. There is no evidence that Nuran Uca's family forced their daughter to kill herself.
Last year, Yakin Erturk, a special UN envoy, arrived at the same conclusion, saying "honour suicides" had clearly begun to replace "honour killings", with the deaths increasingly being disguised as accidents.
Death sentences
For a long time the potent forces of fear and shame in the communities stopped young women visiting the Kam-er centre on Aydin Arlsan Street. But recently at least four girls a day have gone there, often in fear of death sentences issued by their fathers and brothers for infractions perceived to have brought shame on their families.
Nearly one-fifth of those who walked through the doors of the organisation since it started up in 1997 complained of threats from their families. Some had received text messages on their mobile phones saying typically: "You have blackened our name. Kill yourself or we will kill you."
According to Vildan Aycicek, at the organisation's headquarters in the city of Diyarbakir, west of Batman: "Women apply to us when they think they cannot survive the violence any longer. Most are illiterate and don't know their legal rights. If they do, they have no idea how to use them."
There had, she said, been cases of Kurdish and Turkish women calling Kam-er's hotline from Britain and other countries saying they also feared for their lives. Worldwide, the numbers of "honour killings" are notoriously difficult to estimate. But in Turkey the vengeful practice is cited by academics as the cause of death for hundreds of women each year - far above the official annual figure of 70. Sometimes adultery, or a woman's desire for divorce, prompts an all-male "family council" to order a killing.
But the list of "offences" is long: rape, incest, pregnancy brought on by both, a girl ringing into a radio chat show, exchanging eye contact with a boy or wearing a skimpy shirt. Sometimes accusations are no more than rumours.
One villager near Diyarbakir explained the attitude of his home area. "Without rules you have chaos," said Seyikan Arslan. "If my sister or my mother made a mistake we [men] would have to make it right. They would have to pay to cleanse our honour."
[...]
The culture clash has played a large part in exacerbating tensions within families and particularly between patriarchal fathers and their female offspring. "Migration is behind the big rise in honour and suicide killings," said Dr Sir, whose research found that support for the deaths far outstripped other popular penalties such as a woman having her nose sliced off or head shaved.
[...]
Ironically, the suicides have also been blamed on Turkey's efforts to stop "honour crimes". With Ankara's reforming Islamic-rooted government determined to enter the EU, it has toughened laws against the killings. Lenient sentences for those who cite provocation as a mitigating factor are no longer possible. So, to save men from a life in prison, experts believe families are instead forcing women to kill themselves.
[...]
Absent from the campaign in Batman has been the mayor, Huseyin Kalkan, who was awarded damages by DC Comics after a lawsuit over the use of his town's name for the superhero Batman. That money, activists point out, could be used to save women like Nuran Uca.
What does a woman get after death? besides dead!
Of coarse they have to tell them it is a honor killing, they can't say this will hurt me more than you...
The newest addition to the mosaic that's Europe
Turkish women have to perform a turkish form of seppuku now? Well ain't that nice...
Something completely off-topic:
I'm surprised that Robert hasn't reported on the current Swedish Mohammed cartoon controversy. Isn't it in the international media yet, or do they only pick up on such things when riots and killings start happening?
Anyway, if you haven't heard, a Swedish artist made some caricatures/sketches of Mohammed as a dog(the reason for him being a dog has nothing to do with muslims believing dogs are impure). Some museum, that was to display them, decided not to do so, as they feared for the safety of the museum and the staff. The caricatures/sketches were later supposed to have been displayed at an art school. It too decided that the risk of violent repercussions were to great, so the caricatures were not displayed there either.
As with the Danish Mo-toons, it has sparked a debate in Sweden about freedom of speech. Because of the censorship however, Swedish politicians are taking a completely different stance about these "homegrown Mo-toons" than they did about the Danish ones...
Any way we can get the MEN to commit suicide by other means than bombing innocent people?!
THAT would be a DAMN good start!
The newest addition to the mosaic that's Europe
Posted by: Infidel Pride
We are NOT a mosaic.. at least NOT in the Dhimmi-Dhinkins way.. one where the color WHITE has been eradicated..
WE are Europe and we have the RIGHT to live as Europeans do.. complete with bad sunburns and [supposed] "bad rhythm".. which i think is complete bullshit.. but that is for another forum than this one..
the ONLY mosaic here is German beer VS English beer VS Belgian beer.. French wine VS Italian wine and Spanish Wine.. Greek wine is NOT bvery good sorry.. and neither is German wine.
French Italian and Spanish beer SUCKS so LET's leave the mosaic at that!
Us "notherners" will drink your wine and we suggest you try our beers..
Anything more than that is TOO much mosaic for my taste anyway!
Oh, and while we are talking about Europe.. some islamist ASSHAT is getting FULL PLAY in the Hhhaaavaaahd Gazette dissing European "islamophobia".
WHERE do these arrogant slimeballs COME OFF making any form of DEMAND on US??!!!
WHY do ANY of us even LISTEN.. much more give play or act on these idiotic demands of semi-educated monkeys who pay LOADS of SOWdi money to "study" at Haaaavaaaad??!!!
LET ME go to Hhhaaaaaavaaad.. and take this bitch on in a one-on-one discussion!!!!!
oooohh.. I ***KNOW*** they don't WANT that!
They'd be rid off their SOWdi softball funding the very same day!
SOWdi = ROOT of ALL EVIL, mr. Jorge al-bin-bush!!!
Damn.. if I were a turkish woman I'd kill myself too.. in consideration of the men I might be saddled with.. ROFLMAO!!
We Germans KNOW all to well the losers they are!!
VOLLPFOSTEN!!
[no intelligence whatsoever - NONE at all!]
not to mention their looks.
Allahfanculo
I know. I actually was sarcastically mocking an EU official who once in National Geographic described EU as a mosaic, in contrast to the uncivilized US which instead was a melting pot. It was that comment by him that I incorporated here, sarcastically stating that Turkey was the latest addition.
While culturally Turkey has more in common with its Islamic roots in Turkestan, fact remains that Europe still would potentially have Islamic members even if they were to forcibly reject Turkey: they wouldn't keep out Albania and Bosnia (and if Kosovo is forcibly carved out, that new country would be fast-tracked into EU membership by the Old Europe countries currently supporting this Jihad against Serbia.
I WANT YOU
for the Jihad Awareness Project.
We are at the beginning of the tenth day of posting this request at Jihad Watch, and we are up to 54 volunteers in 29 states.
WE STILL ARE SEEKING CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS FROM ALL 50 STATES, ESPECIALLY FROM THE FOLLOWING:
Alabama
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Kansas
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
New Jersey
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming
I'm looking for at least two people in every state of the Union who would be willing to purchase a copy of Robert Spencer's Religion of Peace? Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't and mail it, on an agreed upon date, to one of the senators in your state. I'm organizing an effort to get the book simultaneously to all 100 senators, in order to send a strong message. If we get more than two people per state, books can also be sent to the House of Representatives.
If you’d like to be involved, please write to me at traehnam@yahoo.com under the subject heading “Senate,” and tell me the state your senator represents, an email address where I can reach you, and a nickname. No need for your real name. And I will never share your email address with anyone, not even with other volunteers for this project.
And visit www.jihadawareness.blogspot.com to get more info on this project and to leave comments other volunteers can read. You can also see there the growing list of participants in this project, and the states their senators represent. I’ll try to update the list at least once a day. I've also designed a graphic that might amuse. Scroll down when you get to the site.
Once we have at least two people from every state, we can agree on a mailing date and then each of us can mail a copy of the book on that date.
Right before each of us mails the book, we can issue a press release to various media outlets in every state, and in that way announce and explain the mailing. And perhaps we can come up with some other ways of maximizing the effectiveness of this project and gaining as much positive attention as possible.
One of the project's volunteers suggested contacting Rep. Sue Myrick, who started the anti-Jihad caucus in Congress. I'll try to coordinate this project with Rep. Myrick to maximize its effectiveness. I've also been calling various congressional offices to get advice on how best to go about this. And I'll soon contact Regnery, Robert Spencer's publisher, to ask their advice and to see if we can coordinate with them in some way.
When Muslims speak of family values, we all have to laugh. I think this goes to prove what we've suspected all along, that Muslim men are misogynistic wooses with very big egos and a just a widdle bit of self-esteem. Frickin' cowards.
This is my favorite line: "Without rules you have chaos," said Seyikan Arslan. "If my sister or my mother made a mistake we [men] would have to make it right. They would have to pay to cleanse our honour."
Honey, there ain't enough soap in the world to cleanse your so-called "honour". You wouldn't know an honorable act if it jumped up an bit you on the behind. And here's another example of a Muslim man keeping the peace, keeping his honour and feelin' the love. (Worthless piece of dog doo.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jz1u6oo_Lg&NR=1
.....being Muslim just may be a death sentence...Islam will getcha if you don't watch out....
Islam hates life.
Woman represents life.
So Islam kills women.
...And this nation, Turkey WANTS to be a part of the EU. Give me a break!
Isabellathecrusader,
Thank-you for posting the video. Too bad the comments option was disabled but the video is excellent and it should send a needed message about Islam and women, how they are ill-treated.
"So, to save men from a life in prison, experts believe families are instead forcing women to kill themselves."
........Islam is so just....protect the killers, protect the assaulters....protect the violent ones...kill the victim....
....Is just one of the reasons you do not want these people in your neighborhood...Ban Muslim Immigration....
Isabella -
Thanks for posting the video link. Now I know why good muslimas cover up - to hide the bruises.
Is Sarkozy falls for Dhimmie Bush's "let Turkey in to the EU " this will get worse.
Love = Death
After a while, you realize why sharia law requires a Muslim woman to only marry a Muslim man. If they had a choice, would they really marry a man who can beat them, marry up to 4 other women and divorce them by merely saying "I divorce you" three times?
I don't think so.
"Without rules you have chaos," said Seyikan Arslan. "If my sister or my mother made a mistake we [men] would have to make it right. They would have to pay to cleanse our honour."
One of the big issues that Muslims have with the West is that it makes it easy for young women (and young men) to escape the tribal patriarchy. When a daughter (or son) can, at 18, walk out the door, get a job in another city, get her own apartment there, and cut off all control that her relatives have over her, it greatly diminishes their power and prestige, and strikes directly at the base of tribal power.
And when a people are free to marry whoever they want in different tribes/clans, the power of the tribal elders evaporates. When you have relatives in multiple different clans, which clan gets to command your loyalty
Women in islam are fitna, chaos causing, and must be bound by the laws of allah to insure that society functions as it should with allah at the pinacle, next the men, then women and last, slaves.
Women in islam are not considered totally human, less than a man and must submit to the sacred laws of abuse as set down in the koran.
Understanding these things makes the lives of Nonnie Darwish, Wafa Sultan and Ayaan Hirsi Ali even more remarkable.
http://www.amazon.com/Submission-Women-Slaves-CSPI/dp/0979579406/ref=sr_1_1/103-0821454-5128662?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187877968&sr=1-1
The Submission of Women and Slaves in Islam
. . . Batman is Turkish? Hunh. He doesn't LOOK Turkish.
While I agree that this is a disturbing and saddening story, I can't help but giggle at the thought of some news correspondent "reporting live, from Batman."
Shouldn't there be a "(sic)" between "Honor" and "Killing"?
We are the civilized world where we insert such distinctions, since there is no "honor" involved in any of this patriarchal terrorism, correct?
I don't think scare quotes are sufficient condemnation.
Any "religion" that threatens you with death if you try to leave it is a deathcult, not a true faith.
Faith involves free choice, not homicidal coercion.
Islam: where you can lose your head twice.
profitsbeard
You are correct Islam is and has never been a religion of faith. Faith doesnt require you to force or bribe people into following your religion. Islam is about power and domination, not faith.
"support for the deaths far outstripped other popular penalties such as a woman having her nose sliced off or head shaved"
Fck me. Oh yes, let them join Europe now.
Prophet Geoff
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The difference between the lie and the truth:
"One villager near Diyarbakir explained the attitude of his home area. 'Without rules you have chaos,' said Seyikan Arslan. 'If my sister or my mother made a mistake we [men] would have to make it right. They would have to pay to cleanse our honour.'"
-------------------------------------
John 8:
4They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
There is no forgiveness in Islam. I rest my case.
Reminds me of this story from last week:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/017746.php
However, Ms Cryer added: “I think there is a problem with the view Asian men generally have about white women. Their view about white women is generally fairly low. They do not seem to understand that there are white girls as moral and as good as Asian girls.”
The only difference between "morals" is the length of the chain muslims put on their children.
Here's my "solution" to all this:
If I were locked in the bathroom with a gun, I would check the number of bullets I'd been given.
I'd figure out how to break the lock, shoot everyone I could (men first), then shoot myself to avoid being tortured for my crimes.
Now that's an "honor" killing...wiping out dishonorable pricks.
First your genitals are hacked up and your legs sewn together, if you haven't already been bathed (raped) by your 56 yr old cousin, Saheeb.
Then you are deprived of an education.
Ah, marriage. The muslim lifestyle is rated X.
Where is the muslima who visits this site? Where is Doug Hooper? CAIR?
The women of islam are culpable in the continuation of the slavery of islam, they could stop some of the insanity. Remember "the hand that rocks the cradle..."
Given the muslim choices for women, getting killed is an honor.
interestinconundrum-
You mean "the hand that holds a butcher knife to the genitalia of the hubby at 3 a.m.", right?
allahfanculo - Is this the "Harvard Gazette" article you're referring to? It's from Feb., 2006. I didn't see an "Islamophobia" article on the current "Gazette."
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/02.23/11-hdscartoon.html
It fits the Islamic/Sharia profile. No surprise at all.
Already happening in Europe. Coming soon to the United States.
profitsbeard, damn right! How about
the hand that searches the backyard for mushrooms to put in the arsehole's food...
Posted by: Miss_Anthrope
That's pretty much what I was thinking. "Oh, can you leave me the gun? Please?"
Of course this behavior makes perfect "sense" when one understands that "a man's honor lies between the legs of a woman". (old arabic saying)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Turkey one of the more modern and least Islamic of the Islamic nations? Didn't Ataturk try to make Turkey more Western and less repressive?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Turkey one of the more modern and least Islamic of the Islamic nations? Didn't Ataturk try to make Turkey more Western and less repressive?
Posted by: Anna Venger at August 23, 2007 1:46 PM
That was Ataturk's goal. Its even set up if the government leans too Islamic, it can be removed by the military. Turkey is at a crossroad right now. I wouldnt want to live there.
interestinconundrum-
Or antifreeze in their fruit smoothie.
Anna Vengar -
Yup...totally true. And even the most "advanced" in Modern terms, Turkey, has serious, serious problems.
Why the leaders contemplate adding Turkey to the EU only makes sense to someone so "open-minded" their brains fell out.
"Absent from the campaign in Batman has been the mayor, Huseyin Kalkan, who was awarded damages by DC Comics after a lawsuit over the use of his town's name for the superhero Batman. That money, activists point out, could be used to save women like Nuran Uca."
I can't let this go. This has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. Batman in the Turk language is not "bat man." How could DC Comics cave in to this unless it was to defray costs of litigation. The suit should have been tossed immediately. I guess the money was used to buy guns and bombs.
Hey, Pelayo,
They're not Marvel Comics...that's why they caved.
Could this be in your future?
One day, as your neighbor Oprahim Hopper stands in his driveway, a car belonging to the nice young man your daughter is dating, pulls into your driveway. As your daughter exits the car, her hair tosses and bounces innocently in the breeze. Your absolute pride and joy, she carries his letter jacket across the crook of her arm, beneath a stack of school books. Bounding around the car, she leans into his window, and quickly kisses him goodbye.
Oprahim continues to eye her closely, as she walks to the front door and enters her home.
"Surely," he thinks to himself, "her family must suffer grave and unmitigated shame!" He hurries into his house, trying to cover his interest in the young lady. "SHE goes too far," he fumes,
"insidiously trying to tempt me!"
As soon as the swelling subsides, Oprahim walks across the street to his good friend's house. When Mr. Dhimmicrat opens the door, Oprahim relays his experience to his friend, and asks, "Do you think the men of the house will kill her?"
"I don't think so, Opie" he replies. "You see, there's this little Constitution thing. But, give me a little time, and that won't be a problem anymore."
Oprahim says excitedly, "We should stone her, or give her 99 lashes! Can we Big D.? C'mon, remember what she did to me!"
Mr. Dhimmicrat answers, "Let's walk over and see what Nancy and Harry have to say, first."
If you don't think this could happen, then you're not thinking.
Could this be in your future?
One day, as your neighbor Oprahim Hopper stands in his driveway, a car belonging to the nice young man your daughter is dating, pulls into your driveway. As your daughter exits the car, her hair tosses and bounces innocently in the breeze. Your absolute pride and joy, she carries his letter jacket across the crook of her arm, beneath a stack of school books. Bounding around the car, she leans into his window, and quickly kisses him goodbye.
Oprahim continues to eye her closely, as she walks to the front door and enters her home.
"Surely," he thinks to himself, "her family must suffer grave and unmitigated shame!" He hurries into his house, trying to cover his interest in the young lady. "SHE goes too far," he fumes,
"insidiously trying to tempt me!"
As soon as the swelling subsides, Oprahim walks across the street to his good friend's house. When Mr. Dhimmicrat opens the door, Oprahim relays his experience to his friend, and asks, "Do you think the men of the house will kill her?"
"I don't think so, Opie" he replies. "You see, there's this little Constitution thing. But, give me a little time, and that won't be a problem anymore."
Oprahim says excitedly, "We should stone her, or give her 99 lashes! Can we Big D.? C'mon, remember what she did to me!"
Mr. Dhimmicrat answers, "Let's walk over and see what Nancy and Harry have to say, first."
If you don't think this could happen, then you're not thinking.
Could this be in your future?
One day, as your neighbor Oprahim Hopper stands in his driveway, a car belonging to the nice young man your daughter is dating, pulls into your driveway. As your daughter exits the car, her hair tosses and bounces innocently in the breeze. Your absolute pride and joy, she carries his letter jacket across the crook of her arm, beneath a stack of school books. Bounding around the car, she leans into his window, and quickly kisses him goodbye.
Oprahim continues to eye her closely, as she walks to the front door and enters her home.
"Surely," he thinks to himself, "her family must suffer grave and unmitigated shame!" He hurries into his house, trying to cover his interest in the young lady. "SHE goes too far," he fumes,
"insidiously trying to tempt me!"
As soon as the swelling subsides, Oprahim walks across the street to his good friend's house. When Mr. Dhimmicrat opens the door, Oprahim relays his experience to his friend, and asks, "Do you think the men of the house will kill her?"
"I don't think so, Opie" he replies. "You see, there's this little Constitution thing. But, give me a little time, and that won't be a problem anymore."
Oprahim says excitedly, "We should stone her, or give her 99 lashes! Can we Big D.? C'mon, remember what she did to me!"
Mr. Dhimmicrat answers, "Let's walk over and see what Nancy and Harry have to say, first."
If you don't think this could happen, then you're not thinking.
Sorry.
Sorry for the 3peat
I can't let this go. This has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. Batman in the Turk language is not "bat man." How could DC Comics cave in to this unless it was to defray costs of litigation. The suit should have been tossed immediately. I guess the money was used to buy guns and bombs.
Posted by: Pelayo
One more reason for a "looser pays winners costs" amendment to the law for these idiotic lawsuits. That shoud go for the "flying imams" as well.
You have to see this clip, it has an Egyptian with a brain debating an imam (speaks for itself, brainwise). About 3:48 into the debate the imam goes off about the "English" eating turkey...LMAO
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1513.htm
interestinconundrum -
Good clip. At least one of them makes sense, but the guy talking about the English eating turkey is a total idiot!
reporting from Turkey:
The gun thing is a new one. They don't use guns (they aren't as stupid as the report suggests). The techniques they use are like the techniques the Saw guy has useth!
For example: they keep the child/young girl locked in a dark moisty room (e.g. a cellar or barn) with no food or whatsoever, and they keep serving the lady with bread slices covered with tomato sauce and rat poison. The girl nows the bread is spiked but sooner or later will have to eat it.
you can read a recently published, touching fiction on this subject: http://www.amazon.com/Bliss-Zulfu-Livaneli/dp/0786146257
By the way, keep in mind that these things happen mostly in the Kurdish-rooted and poor farmer community. The underlying motto that the feudal lords of the region and those who have greater but matching goals utilize is simple, I believe:
- Keep uneducated, Keep stupid, Command
The modern Turkish understanding of Islam doesn't command any type of killing, as one would expect from a decent religion. However, those that I may call modern Turks, the subset that I believe I am a member of, are getting accelaratingly outnumbered by the simple fact that these uneducated people reproduce like rabbits. (not as cute though)
By the way, if the soo open-minded, democratic EU'eans and US'ans keep supporting the radical-islamic rooted AKP government, and the ignorant keep reproducing at this rate, it would take only a few years if not months, to turn Turkey into the exact opposite of what Ataturk has set us up for.
It is only a few months ago that the Economist has printed an article "The Battle for Turkey's soul" that (ill?)advised Turkey to choose democracy over secularity if needed. What non-secular but democrate countries do not understand about Turkey's dynamics is that once secularism is out of the way, democracy will follow so fast, ermm.. how should I say..
Godspeed.
Ironically, the suicides have also been blamed on Turkey's efforts to stop "honour crimes". With Ankara's reforming Islamic-rooted government determined to enter the EU, it has toughened laws against the killings.
.............................
See, it's the fault of the reformers!
How grotesque. Notice, too, how this obfuscates things--it makes it sound as though the "Islamic-rooted" government is against "honor killings", as secularists and other non-Muslmims are not. Nowhere in this would you get the idea that these crimes are themselves rooted in Islamic ideas.
To them any killing is an honor!
Absent from the campaign in Batman has been the mayor, Huseyin Kalkan, who was awarded damages by DC Comics after a lawsuit over the use of his town's name for the superhero Batman.
....................................
Holy frivolous lawsuit, Batman!
This is hardly the most important part of this article, but it is still stunning. Did a court actually award damages, or did DC Comics simply cave?
This is ludicrous--it is unlkiely that Bob Kane (creator of Batman) ever heard of the town in Turkey. It is obviously just a reference to an animal--rather like Spiderman or any number of other superheroes. No intent can be proven--this is the first point of such cases.
The second point is proving harm. How has Batman, Turkey, been hurt by the existance of Batman the comic superhero? I'm sure a few clueless Western tourists visit there, "nyuck, nyuck, look--this town's called Batman!" This is hardly indicative of harm.
While there has been a bit of critisism about some of the characters methods or the quality of some of the films over the years, Batman is considered by most people to be an extremely positive character.
This is just another form of shaking down the gullible Westerners.