Sulutəpə Explained

40.4333°N 95°W

Official Name:Sulutepe
Native Name:Azerbaijani: Sulutəpə
Pushpin Map:Azerbaijan
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Azerbaijan
Subdivision Type1:City
Subdivision Name1:Baku
Subdivision Type2:Raion
Subdivision Name2:Binagadi
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:Bilajary
Population As Of:2008
Population Total:2637
Population Footnotes:[1]
Timezone:AZT
Utc Offset:+4
Utc Offset Dst:+5
Coordinates:40.4333°N 95°W

Sulutepe (Azerbaijani: '''Sulutəpə''', also spelled Sulu Tepe) is a settlement in Baku, Azerbaijan. The settlement forms part of the municipality of Bilajary in Binagadi raion.[2]

It is an unofficial township built up in the 1980s by rural migrants and refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. There is oil there, and oil wells, on the land occupied by residents, ownership being claimed by "Binagadi Oil", which is, in turn, owned by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Company "Global Energy Azerbaijan" which is registered in the Virgin Islands. Attempts by the oil company to evict squatters and demolish illegal construction have been controversial with residents strongly contesting the oil companies claims.[3] [4] [5] It was reported that on April 17, 2012 a mob of local residents attacked oil company employees demolishing houses and that the employees, in turn, severely beat a local Azeri reporter, Idrak Abbasov, while he was filming the incident.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=wg&geo=-26&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=c&va=x World Gazetteer: Azerbaijan
  2. Web site: Belediyye Informasiya Sistemi . https://web.archive.org/web/20080924083213/http://www.belediyye.org/index.php?con=qanun&bkod=3637 . September 24, 2008 . Azerbaijani.
  3. News: Azerbaijan: journalist Abbasov demands investigation into attacks on his relatives and their house. April 10, 2012. Caucasian Knot. Oct 25, 2011.
  4. News: Azerbaijan: scuffle bursts out of SOCAR employees with Sulu-Tepe villagers. April 10, 2012. Caucasian Knot. April 7, 2012.
  5. News: Next house demolitions and the confrontation in the Sulu Tepe. April 10, 2012. Contact.Az. April 6, 2012.
  6. News: Reporter in Azerbaijan Beaten After Filming Dispute. April 19, 2012. The New York Times. April 18, 2012. Ellen Barry.