Beyond the Istanbul Airport Terrorist Incident

Throughout history, underlying issues such as religion, ethnicity, nationalism, and identity-seeking have been hidden behind all terrorist incidents. However, terrorism stemming from identity-seeking has a relatively short history and has only recently manifested itself in a tangible form. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became a concrete symbol in some newly independent countries like Uzbekistan and Chechnya; yet, due to its lack of significant political roots, it has not been as impactful as other forms of terrorism. Religious and ideological terrorism, driven by unfounded beliefs and fanaticism, has become a scourge for global societies, with sinister terrorist phenomena like Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and ISIS negatively affecting the security of various communities worldwide. Currently, the terrorist acts committed by religious terrorists rooted in Wahhabism and Salafism have not only led to crises in the Middle East and increased proxy wars between Shia and Sunni but have also created an environment for Islamophobia, manifesting itself across Europe, America, and East Asia without regard for borders. Turkey is also one of the countries victimized by this form of terrorism. For years, due to its secular system and adherence to the democratic principles derived from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's views, it managed to keep itself away from minority and identity crises, ignoring ethnic minorities, both religious and national. However, in the past year, the country has witnessed bloody and terrifying terrorist incidents, which have caused both political and social security to falter and inflicted irreparable damage on its economy. Each terrorist incident has also called into question the structure and framework of the security, intelligence, and police systems. Today, Turkey is a victim of global terrorism, which disregards geographical boundaries and is composed of various ethnicities at its core. The current terrorism has transformed into a contemporary political movement and method of struggle. In the recent Istanbul airport terrorist explosion, three individuals identified were Dagestani from Russia, Uzbek, and Kyrgyz. It should not be forgotten that beneath every terrorist operation lie beliefs and ideologies filled with hatred and political viewpoints. Each terrorist group initially tries to present itself as a political or ideological identity-seeker, thus attracting supporters, and then identifies enemies based on those fabricated viewpoints, resorting to terrorist operations to achieve their goals. In this way, they demonstrate their identity and existence. However, it should not be overlooked that factors such as ruling powers, resources available for terrorist organizations, and manipulators who exploit them for their evil purposes are involved in the growth of terrorist groups. Some governments also create an environment for the growth of terrorism due to their leniency towards it. It goes without saying that applying severity and repression against terrorism without wisdom and policy can provide a propaganda ground for them. Speculation has shown that some regimes and ruling governments do not exert the necessary seriousness to achieve their goals and legitimize themselves against terrorism. Dictatorial regimes need terrorist groups to always have an opposing front and to use them as an excuse to eliminate their opponents, placing their adversaries among them for easier management. However, the issue of terrorism in Turkey should be explored from another perspective. What secrets lie behind the terrorist incidents in Ankara, Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Suruc, Reyhanli, and ultimately at the Istanbul airport? Professor David Phillips, head of the Human Rights and Peace Department at Columbia University, who previously served as a senior advisor to Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and even Barack Obama, stated in an interview with Voice of America that the incidents occurring in Turkey are due to the Turkish government's silence regarding the growth and development of ISIS. He further stated, 'Erdogan's erroneous policies in fighting against Bashar al-Assad's government and supporting radical groups against him have allowed these groups to grow or be supported in Turkey. The recent horrific incident in Turkey is the result of his ineffective policies.' Phillips believes that instead of fighting against radical groups, the Turkish government has provided them with resources, and Erdogan did not show the necessary cooperation in fighting ISIS at the right time, making Turkey a playground for ISIS terrorist threats. In this context, the editor of the New York Times also wrote in the Wednesday, June 30 issue that 'behind the brutal terrorist attack in Turkey lies the leniency of its political officials. The recent incident at Istanbul airport is a sign of the nightmare in the Middle East, involving the country in the Syrian crisis, the spread of terrorism beyond its borders, and laying the groundwork for a major crisis in Syria while ignoring the security of other countries. All of this came at the cost of Erdogan's political origins.' This publication further analyzes the terrorist incident at Istanbul airport, which is considered the third busiest airport in Europe, characterizing the unfortunate operation as one resulting from the hatred of the radical ISIS group against modernism, global convergence, and opposition to democratic and secular systems. Meanwhile, Eran Erdem, a representative from Istanbul of the Republican People's Party, acknowledged in a session on Thursday, June 30, in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey that 'currently there are 14 cases open regarding ISIS activities in Turkey, and necessary trials are underway. However, an individual named Abu Hanzalah, who is involved in three terrorist incidents in Turkey, is easily released. This individual is known in Afghanistan as someone who organized Al-Qaeda, trained terrorist teams in Raqqa, Syria, and was one of the agents responsible for preparing and transferring munitions and weapons to Syria in Turkey, and among those who managed ISIS safe houses in Turkey.' Given these circumstances, it seems that behind the bitter and unfortunate events in Turkey, there truly exists either deliberate or inadvertent negligence. Terrorism has negatively impacted Turkey with all its beauty, resources, and developing conditions. To resolve this crisis, only national political will and international cooperation can eradicate the roots of such a malignant cancer.