Kahramanmaras - Turkey
Capital of Province in south eastern Turkey. Founded as a Hittite City State in 3000BC. Known as Germanacia Caesarea in the time of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Until 1973, known as Maras. The name was changed to commemorate the victory against the French Armenian Legion during the Battle of Maras during the Turkish War of Independence. In Dec 1978, Kahramanmaras was the site of the massacre of the leftist Alevis who were an ultra-nationailist group called the Grey Wolves'. 100 were left dead. The incident was of key importance in the Turkish Government's decision to declare Marshall Law and the eventual military coup in 1980. Today the economy is based on textiles and ice cream and is the home of the 172nd armoured brigade of the Turkish 2nd Army
