Israel Matzav: Thousands of Turks mourn Bin Laden

Thousands of Turks mourn Bin Laden

Thousands of demonstrators in Istanbul protested against the death of Osama Bin Laden on Friday, while setting fire to the flags of the United States, Israel and Britain (Hat Tip: Joshua I).

"The US, UK and Israel are the murderers of the martyr," the participants chanted. "The US is the terrorist, bin Laden is the warrior."

The mourners carried pictures of bin Laden and signs condemning his assassination, and called the man who planned the September 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans "a beautiful, wise man, a warrior for Islam."

The mourners, who gathered near Istanbul's Fatih Mosque, which is located in the area that is considered Turkey's epicenter of Islamic extremism, burned Israeli, American and British flags, and prayed facing a stone bench that traditionally holds the body of the deceased.

Let's go to the videotape (sorry, Turkish only):







In November 2003, a series of four truck bombs in Istanbul killed 57 people and wounded more than 700. The bombs were placed at two Jewish synagogues, a branch of HSBC Bank and the British consulate. Al-Qaeda was responsible for those attacks. On Thursday, a hotel opened on the site where the HSBC Bank stood. I wonder how many Turks will go there.

Israel Matzav: Thousands of Turks mourn Bin Laden