Turkey is weeping and will ever be in shock at the magnitude of the terror that struck the country on Saturday. At least 128 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded when two suicide bombers targeted a peace rally in Ankara organised by several leftist groups, including labour unions and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP), to call for an end to the spiralling violence between the Turkish government and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s party (PKK). This is the deadliest attack on Turkish soil in the country’s recent history and defies explanation. What did the country do to become the victim of such a heinous attack? Nothing. In a region gripped with turmoil and tension, Ankara has been acting as a peaceful and stabilising force and as a mediator. It has been a shining example to the Islamic world as a country where democracy, modernity and religion blended harmoniously to create a success that is unparalleled.
The intention of the perpetrators of this attack is clear: to destabilise the country. It is not yet clear who carried out the attacks. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said groups including Islamic State (IS) jihadists, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) were capable of striking so deep. The authorities are still looking at the possibility of a link to IS jihadists but this has yet to be confirmed. A section of the pro-government media has implied a PKK hand in the attacks.
The entire country rose in anger and grief after the attack, and leaders unequivocally said that the nation will not bow down to the evil designs of the attackers and those behind them. “Regardless of the plots created by those in our west, east or north, they will not bring this country to its knees. Regardless of the bloody and dirty tenders the puppets on the inside receive, they will never succeed,” wrote Ibrahim Karagul, Editor-in-Chief of Yeni Safak English, reflecting the general mood of the country.
Turkey is a democracy and as happens in democratic countries, there has also been a soul-searching. Saturday’s twin bombings have brought to the fore divisions between supporters of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), and supporters of the opposition movements that have gained traction in recent elections.
The government and the opposition will have to unite to fight the enemies. The government must do everything to avoid a repetition of such attacks. Security must be beefed up, and the culprits must be identified and punished after a proper investigation. With Syria in chaos, there are chances that terrorists will try to target Turkey for its policies.
Turkey is weeping and will ever be in shock at the magnitude of the terror that struck the country on Saturday. At least 128 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded when two suicide bombers targeted a peace rally in Ankara organised by several leftist groups, including labour unions and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP), to call for an end to the spiralling violence between the Turkish government and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s party (PKK). This is the deadliest attack on Turkish soil in the country’s recent history and defies explanation. What did the country do to become the victim of such a heinous attack? Nothing. In a region gripped with turmoil and tension, Ankara has been acting as a peaceful and stabilising force and as a mediator. It has been a shining example to the Islamic world as a country where democracy, modernity and religion blended harmoniously to create a success that is unparalleled.
The intention of the perpetrators of this attack is clear: to destabilise the country. It is not yet clear who carried out the attacks. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said groups including Islamic State (IS) jihadists, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) were capable of striking so deep. The authorities are still looking at the possibility of a link to IS jihadists but this has yet to be confirmed. A section of the pro-government media has implied a PKK hand in the attacks.
The entire country rose in anger and grief after the attack, and leaders unequivocally said that the nation will not bow down to the evil designs of the attackers and those behind them. “Regardless of the plots created by those in our west, east or north, they will not bring this country to its knees. Regardless of the bloody and dirty tenders the puppets on the inside receive, they will never succeed,” wrote Ibrahim Karagul, Editor-in-Chief of Yeni Safak English, reflecting the general mood of the country.
Turkey is a democracy and as happens in democratic countries, there has also been a soul-searching. Saturday’s twin bombings have brought to the fore divisions between supporters of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), and supporters of the opposition movements that have gained traction in recent elections.
The government and the opposition will have to unite to fight the enemies. The government must do everything to avoid a repetition of such attacks. Security must be beefed up, and the culprits must be identified and punished after a proper investigation. With Syria in chaos, there are chances that terrorists will try to target Turkey for its policies.
