BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the government’s stance on last weekend’s bomb attacks in Istanbul. A summary of his column is as follows:
Turkish security authorities have been successful in uncovering the facts about the weekend bomb attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul, thus boosting our esteem both at home and abroad. This shows the advanced level we’ve reached in our fight against terrorism. Another reason why the authorities got results so quickly is that the suicide bombers were Turkish. Security services had sufficient information about both the terrorists and their organizations, and this made their discovery quicker and easier. This is the good side of the coin. The bad side is that the bombers and their supporters are Turkish and that international terrorism is using them. Even if we accept that the real responsibility for the attack lies with al Qaeda, it shows that this terrorist movement with resources abroad also has an active branch here in Turkey.
The government’s energetic stance following last weekend’s attacks was the best response to rumor mongers and similar parties. In particular, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and members of the government saw these actions as a terrorist attack against Turkey itself and so condemned them. In this respect, Erdogan’s recent statement, ‘If these terrorists wanted to send a message, then rest assured they will find no audience here,’ show the government’s ambition in the fight against terrorism and took a clear stand against actions based on fanaticism. Probably terrorists are trying to tell Ankara to change the course of its domestic and foreign policies. But Turkey is a secular, democratic country which has close relations with both the West and Israel. The ruling party is following a moderate, pragmatic policy line. Thus, these characteristics have put our country in the ‘enemy camp’ and the crosshairs. By scorning the terrorists’ message, Erdogan is also letting the world know that Ankara won’t change course.
Turkey has a clear consensus on this issue, as shown by voices from other political parties, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and various sectors of society. Global terrorism must have its reasons, but nothing can justify such attacks as last weekend’s in Istanbul. Condemnations of attacks targeting innocents and a unified stance on this issue serve as proof.