Mayor of Batman takes on the might of Gotham City

From the Joker to the Riddler, Batman has grappled with his fair share of adversaries. Now he faces possibly his most bizarre enemy: the pro-Kurdish mayor of a city called Batman in south-eastern Turkey, who is claiming a stake in the multimillion-dollar franchise.

Christopher Nolan, who directed the caped crusader's latest big screen escapade The Dark Knight, and the studio, Warner Bros, face the wrath of Huseyin Kalkan, Batman's mayor, who is suing them for film royalties for using the city's name without permission. "There is only one Batman in the world," Mr Kalkan reportedly said. "The American producers used the name of our city without informing us."

Mr Kalkan, who received a 10-month jail sentence at the beginning of this year for praising a Kurdish rebel leader, says the film's psychological impact on Batman inhabitants is to blame for a number of unsolved murders and a high female suicide rate. Former natives of Batman are also said to have encountered obstacles when attempting to register their businesses abroad.

No one from the town of Batman has explained why it has taken so many years to take legal action. Cynics have suggested that the latest film's hefty profits – it is about to pass the $1bn (£670m) mark at the box office – may have played a part.