Ricciardone visits Batman, after Van and Hakkari

US Ambassador to Ankara Francis Ricciardone visited Batman with his wife Marie Ricciardone, after visiting Van and Hakkari the previous day. Welcomed by Deputy Governor Soner Karatasoglu at the governorate, Ricciardone said, "We are aware that Turkey is far bigger and richer than just Ankara and Istanbul. We want to know all four sides of Turkey. We paid special attention to the Southeast, when I was the consul in Adana. Our daughter was born in Adana. We want to travel around the whole region every now and then. It is good to see the southeast once or twice a year."