BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen writes about the international repercussions of the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul. A summary of his column is as follows:
There are many questions that spring to mind about last weekend’s terrorist attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul. Often such questions can never be answered. This time, however, we hope that the perpetrators will soon be captured and punished. Turkey has now for the first time been the victim of a large-scale attack of global terrorism.
There were supposedly two main aims of these attacks: First, to ‘punish’ and take revenge on the Jews and Israel. Second, to intimidate Turkey and force Ankara to change its foreign policy. Radical Islamist terrorist groups see our country as a collaborator with the Western world. Why? Because Turkey is secular and cooperates with the US and Israel. But couldn’t these terrorists have seen beforehand that such attacks would lead to nothing but indignation and anger? In truth, one shouldn’t search for reasonable explanations since such acts are always the outcome of miscalculations on the part of terrorists. The ‘masterminds’ behind such attacks aren’t always rational.
If we look at the repercussions of these attacks in the international arena, we see that the perpetrators’ plans have already failed. Countries worldwide have expressed their support to Turkey in its fight against terrorism. Our successful synthesis of Islam and secularism is once again greatly appreciated by the international community. The attacks have in fact reinforced Turkey’s determination to combat terrorism. They have also provided us with a new opportunity to tell the world that there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ terrorism, and that Ankara condemns all kinds of terrorist attacks. In addition, we’ve already shown in years past that terrorism would never deter us from our goals. How can someone think that Turkey would change its foreign policy due to such attacks? In other words, terrorist groups miscalculated the results of their actions. Turkey will never alter its foreign policy.
The best message for Turkey to send to the perpetrators of these abhorrent attacks is as follows: ‘We will stay on course. We’ll never submit to terrorism.’