The animosity of the Turkish government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has resulted in more street names being changed in İstanbul.
According to a report by the pro-government Hürriyet Daily News, the İstanbul Municipal Council has decided to change the names of a total of 90 streets that included words that could be associated with the Gülen movement.Accordingly, a street in İstanbul’s Şişli district bearing the word “Samanyolu” was renamed after Hrant Dink, the prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist killed in 2007 outside his office. Also, a street in the same district previously known as “Işık” was renamed after Uğur Mumcu, who was killed in a bomb attack in Ankara 25 years ago.
The municipality also resolved to change the name of “Samanyolu” street in the Beyoğlu district to “Münir Özkul” street after the late actor.The name of “Işık” street in the Bakırköy district was changed to “Yaşar Kemal” street to honor the famous novelist.“Samanyolu” street in the Bahçelievler district has become “Eren Bülbül” street. The 15-year-old Eren Bülbül was killed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) during clashes between the group and security forces in Trabzon’s Maçka district in August 2017.
“Renaming streets after Hrant Dink and Uğur Mumcu will contribute to social peace,” said Cevdet Bayram of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), who is also a member of the İstanbul Municipal Council. Bayram thanked Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) members of the council for the renaming initiative.This is not the first time the megacity’s municipality has launched a renaming campaign to rid the city of street names allegedly related to the Gülen movement.
In December of last year, the Istanbul Municipality unanimously approved the renaming of 192 streets across the metropolitan area that reminded people of the movement.
