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| Europe |
| Sakra's grandfather was offered governorship of Hatay |
| 2006-03-21 |
| Louai Sakka, currently on trial charged with being a "top level" Al-Qaeda terror network administrator for which he is expected to receive a life sentence, is originally Turkish. Sakka, allegedly prepared the passports for two of the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks, and is also being held responsible for the explosions in Istanbul. Yaser Sakka, the elder brother of Sakka who will appear in court today, came from Syria to Istanbul on March 17 and visited his brother. Through his lawyer Osman Karahan, Yaser Sakka showed Zaman his grandfather Bekir Sakka's identity card sample taken from Hatay in 1924 and the passport his grandmother Hatica Sakka received in order to travel to Syria's capital Aleppo on 3 June 1939, together with her two children. SakkaÂ’s brother confirmed that the family was originally from Turkey. Yaser Sakka also told that the Sakka family moved from Seydisehir Konya to Hatay during the Ottoman era. After the Ottoman State collapsed and the Republic of Turkey was founded, their grandfather Bekir Sakka migrated to Syria. The president of Turkey at the time, Ismet Inonu, proposed the post of Hatay governor to SakkaÂ’s grandfather to encourage the family to stay in Turkey. According to the vital records register, Sakka's grandfather was married to two women, Rabia and Hatice, and had four children, Azime, Aliye, Mehmet and Ibrahim Halil. Louai Sakka is the son of Mehmet Sakka who was born on 12 September 1935. Mehmet Sakka's identity card includes information that he was registered at the county of Antakya, district of Derbuz, Page No: 269, Registration No: 5. Sakka's father, who was engaged in commerce in Halep, owned a plastics factory in Syria. Sakka has ten brothers and sisters and was born in Halep in 1973. Lawyer Karahan said Sakka, who will appear before the court for the first time today, will admit to planning actions against Israeli ships, but denies the allegations that he financed the bomb attacks in Istanbul. Karahan also said Sakka will make important statements about the 9/11 attacks, CIA operations, Turkish intelligence and the UK's policy on Iraq. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |