March 28, 2024
Airport attack points to spreading regional war
ISTANBUL - Tuesday's suicide attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, that killed at least 41 people and wounded more than 200, highlights how far Turkey has fallen from its former status as a regional example of stability.

Terror attacks have been growing across Turkey, with several targeting Istanbul — a city historically considered the meeting place of the European and Asian continents.

With its once thriving economy and robust tourism sector, the country’s financial boom has now gone bust. Tourist arrivals are down about one-third this past year.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the latest incident, but Turkish prime minister Binali Yildrim said Tuesday’s attack seemed to have the hallmarks of an Islamic State operation.

It almost mirrored the March 22nd attack claimed by IS on the international airport in Brussels that left 32 people dead.

The Institute for the Study of War had predicted an increase in IS attacks in Turkey during the Islamic June 5-July 5 holy month of Ramadan,as part of the extremist group’s attempt to reorient its strategy in the region.

“ISIS will likely select targets in neighboring states that relieve pressure from the group in Syria while setting conditions for future expansion in those states,” ISW wrote. “Targets that serve this dual purpose include foreign tourists, state security forces, and U.S. military elements in Turkey and Jordan.”

Prime Minister Yildrim said in a news conference shortly after the attacks Tuesday that many of the victims of the attacks were foreign nationals. (Source: voanews)
Story Date: June 30, 2016
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