ISIS attack targets Western tourists in Turkey

The World
Turkish police attend the scene of the bombing in Istanbul. The suicide bomber killed 10 people, most of them German tourists.

An alleged ISIS suicide bombing has killed 10 people in Istanbul, with more injured. The target appears to have been foreign tourists: The blast took place in the Sultanahmet area, a major tourist attraction, and most of the victims were German visitors.

Turkish authorities have blamed the attack on ISIS, which was also believed to have been responsible for Turkey’s worst-ever terrorist attack, in Ankara last October. Last month, Turkish authorities claimed to have foiled an ISIS plot to attack crowds on New Year's Eve. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described his country as the "top target for all terrorist groups in the region."

According to the BBC’s Paul Moss, ISIS's decision to make Turkey a target reflects a reversal in Turkey’s policy toward jihadi rebels groups in Syria.

“At the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Islamists were tolerated [by Turkey],” he said. “They had safe houses, they were allowed to operate using Turkey as a rear safe area.”

Moss believes Ankara’s calculation was that the militants shared the same strategic objectives as Turkey. “It was convenient for [Turkey] to have islamists fighting against both the Kurds and [Syrian] President [Bashar] al-Assad. But that policy [toward rebels groups in Syria] is now changing.”

Even if Turkey does now perceive ISIS to be a major threat, it may be difficult to disassemble the extensive cross-border network the group has created across Turkey. According to Moss, senior agents in the Iraqi intelligence service estimate ISIS has about 2,000 sleeper agents on Turkish soil, with a further 5,000 Islamists of various affiliations also present.

“The Turkish authorities realize they are in a fight now. But there are still areas in Turkey where ISIS recruits — including in some of the poorer areas of Istanbul."

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