By Alexander Krassimirov
April 11 – Hakan Sukur’s nameplate in the Istanbul stadium named after him – Sancaktepe Hakan Sukur Stadium – has been removed by municipal workers after he resigned from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Sukur, a Turkish footballing legend, was an Istanbul deputy known to be a close follower of the US-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen. Sukur had sided with the Gulen movement against the AKP a day before the ‘graft’ investigation into government ministers and prominent businessmen was launched on December 17, 2013.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdocan upped the ante soon afterwards by calling on Sukur to resign from Parliament, too.
Arguably the most successful football player of his generation, if not the whole of Turkish football history, Sukur’s new-found political career as a now independent lawmaker continues with controversies.
Some 10 days after the local elections, the Sancaktepe municipality sent workers to Sancaktepe Hakan Sukur Stadium on the evening of April 8 to remove nameplate. The UEFA and FIFA-approved venue, which was named after Sukur on its inauguration in 2010, is now called Sancaktepe Municipality Stadium.
Sukur tweeted in response: “It is better to have your name in people’s heart than having a picture on a wall. :))”.
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