Local government in Turkey's İstanbul names street after jihadist leader Azzam
CAN UĞUR
canugur@birgun.net / @canugur1987
While a great number of people and groups has been called as ‘terrorists’ by officials of Turkey’s ruling party AKP (Justice and Development Party), its local government in İstanbul’s Ümraniye district has named a central road in the district with the name of Al-Qaeda’s founding leader.
So, this road in Dudullu town of İstanbul’s Ümraniye happens to be officially called Abdullah Azam Road, the name of the Palestinian Sunni Islamic militant widely referred to as the ‘father of global jihad’, whose followers – Abdullah Azzam Brigades - today are also listed in terror lists of several countries.
Abdullah Yusuf Azzam is also known to be the leader that Osama Bin Laden was influenced by the most.
It catches the attention to see that while a grand list of people and groups - from dismissed professionals who have been demanding their jobs back to those participating in the recent Justice March - have been called as ‘terrorists’ by government officials in Turkey, a jihadist militant who had been listed in the international terror lists is ‘commemorated and honored’.