Istanbul names park after Nazi sympathiser

The municipality of the Turkish city of Istanbul has reportedly named a park after a Nazi sympathiser.

Although the naming took place last November, it is only coming to light now that the city government named the park after Hüseyin Nihal Atsız (1905–1975), who is believed to have held antisemitic and pro-Nazi views.

“As the mud will not be iron even if it is put into an oven, the Jew cannot be Turkish no matter how hard he tries,” Mr Atsiz wrote in 1934.

He also wrote that “Turkishness is a privilege; it is not granted to everyone, especially to those like Jews…If we get angry, we will not only exterminate Jews like the Germans did, we will go further…”

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