From the Biographies of the Distinguished Martyrs: (10) Abu Abdullah al-Turki
The tenth “distinguished martyr” is a Turkish jihadist named Azad Akinci, the first non-Arab in this series. He trained in Afghanistan and unsuccessfully attempted to join the Chechen jihad. Akinci then shifted his sights to his own country. Here, Abu Ismail al-Muhajir makes a brief but fascinating allusion to the jihadist presence in Turkey during the 1990s and 2000s. He tells us that Akinci and other jihadists volunteered for a suicide bombing against a “Jewish target,” a yearly tourist convoy. This raises several questions. Who were these other jihadists? How did they plan this operation? Did they have any assistance from Al Qaida? Was there any relationship to the Chechen jihadists? Whatever the case, the operation did not take place, due to cryptic “circumstances” that Muhajir does not explain. In other biographies, he states whether an attack was foiled or delayed by state interference. That he does not say so here indicates that something else may be to blame. In any event, Akinci’s dreams of martyrdom would have to wait until he arrived in Iraq, which he presumably entered through the Turkish-Iraqi land border. Once in Iraq, Akinci joined up with Muhajir’s circle and volunteered for a suicide bombing. He died in the same operation as Abu Hurayra al-Hijazi, the Saudi jihadist we met in the second installment of this series.
In the name of God, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.
Abu Abdullah al-Turki
–Azad Akinci–
A sincere determination and a lofty ambition, a tireless worker, and a patient soul without weariness, a truly loyal and honest individual–we consider him as such, and God is his Reckoner. A Turk of noble origin, he reminds you of those who made Europe taste humiliation and disgrace during the "Ottoman Empire”–rather, the Ottoman Caliphate.
He learned in order to work. He went to Pakistan and joined the Islamic University in Islamabad, where he stayed for two years. Then, his faith and desire for jihad, as well as his aspiration to lift the humiliation from the Ummah, drove him to go to Afghanistan. There, he joined the training camps, and his brothers recognized his sincerity through his constant service and frequent guard duties. Later, he returned to Turkey, but his sincere soul yearned to support his brothers in Chechnya. So, he went to Georgia (the transit route to Chechnya) and remained there for seven months, waiting tirelessly for an opportunity to enter. Every day, hope drove him, and the departure of his companions after a month or two did not weaken his resolve. Ultimately, the martyr was not destined to enter, so he returned to his country with a heavy heart, consumed by sorrow, as it pained him to see Chechnya inhabited by brothers of disbelief, apostates nesting there, and Jews roaming its streets and towns.
He returned to his homeland, where secularism stands as a vigilant guardian and an impenetrable barrier against all advocates of religion and seekers of honor. They disbelieved, committed crimes, and stooped to every lowly act in their quest to join the European Union–and the result is known.
Despite the devils corrupting both religion and worldly life, the beloved one despised a life of submission and humiliation. He could not stand idly by in the face of this tragic reality. So, he and a group of his brothers registered for a martyrdom operation against a Jewish target–a tourist convoy that arrives during a specific month of the year, carrying around three thousand Jews. However, the operation did not proceed due to certain circumstances, which are not the focus here. His brothers then decided to strike another Jewish and British target.
Because the list of martyrs was long, his turn did not come, and his name was placed on the wanted list for the bombing of Jewish synagogues in Turkey. So, he sought another place and a third battlefield, hoping that God would grant him martyrdom. Indeed, the beloved one despised the humiliation of this world and longed to meet his Lord. Yes, he longed to meet his Lord. I witnessed this in an Arab friend of his, who took me aside and said, "Brother, I beg you, I yearn to meet my Lord. Please, hasten the matter for me. I long to meet my brothers, for by God, I have grown to despise myself in their absence."
I felt so small, like a speck beneath his feet. How could I attain such a spirit? How could I reach such a level? What should I do? Could I ever possess a heart so pure, so radiant with light and faith?
Returning to the beloved one [Akinci], he came to the Land of Two Rivers to witness the greatest struggle between the sons of faith and monotheism, and the brothers of apes and pigs–a battle of breaking bones, as Abu Mus’ab liked to call it.
He arrived and immediately registered himself in the honorable list of martyrs. In the house where he stayed, the host said, "Brother, I never woke up at any hour of the night without seeing the man praying, as if surrounded by a halo of light and radiance." In his dealings, everyone who saw him loved him. He commanded awe and respect, for he was, may God have mercy on him, a man of imposing stature, blessed by God with a strong build.
One day, one of his brothers went on an operation. He woke up in the morning, announcing that the mission had been accomplished, and described to us in detail what had happened. The beloved one did not know Arabic. O people of the language of eloquence, O those who have read and understood the Quran, yet you have never truly grasped its meaning. You have never felt that shiver that Abu Abdullah the non-Arab felt, nor have your eyes wept out of longing and fear, nor... nor...
In any case, it was our friend's turn. He went with a brother to the site of the incident, along with two others, including Abu Hurayra, mentioned earlier. In the morning, the martyrs embraced and shed tears. Then, Abu Hurayra broke the silence, exclaiming with Takbir and glad tidings: "My beloved ones, in an hour or less, we will meet before a Powerful King. So, rejoice and hope." Each one got into their car, and Abu Abdullah got into his car with a brother who guided him to the road. Before the guide got out, about a hundred meters before the target, he tried to kiss his hands, but the beloved one refused and bid farewell to his companion. He then sped off like an arrow, heading straight into the police station in Khan Bani Saad in Diyala, just as an American patrol arrived. He sent all the Americans and their collaborators inside to where God had destined for them. It is worth noting that all the workers in the center were from the lowly Rafidah–praise be to God!
Written by:
Abu Ismail al-Muhajir