BY SEDAT ERGIN
HURRIYET- Columnist Sedat Ergin comments on the weekend bomb attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul. A summary of his column is as follows:
Last weekend’s bomb attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul were a high-water mark for terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks, which themselves were followed by a series of al Qaeda terrorist attacks in Indonesia, Tunisia, Kenya and Morocco. However, the attacks in Istanbul are considered the worst since Sept. 11 due to where they took place. The largest city of a country which is one of the US’ closest allies in the region and a NATO member and also has close relations with Israel was made a target.
It’s fairly clear that Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organizations are responsible for the Istanbul attacks, and it wouldn’t be surprising if al Qaeda turned out to be behind it. Both of these attacks are the result of one or two months of planning by a group which probably left serious evidence behind it. What might be the terrorists’ message? Maybe they meant to punish Turkey’s initial decision to send soldiers to Iraq. Even though our soldiers never actually went there, Parliament’s decision in favor of it showed its preference. Thus, this terrorist action might include a warning for Turkey not to act alongside the US. However, these attacks might cause an opposite effect as well, because they could move Turkey further into the same axis as the US and Israel. Turkey will consider itself in the same boat as the US, which sees terrorism as its chief threat. Consequently these attacks could cause Turkey to engage in stronger cooperation with the US and Israel. In sum, the people who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and the Muslim and Jewish people who died at the synagogues in Istanbul last weekend shared the same unfortunate fate.