Türkiye's Challenge and Determination

(Baonghean) - After the bloody attack on the Reina nightclub in Istanbul, Türkiye immediately tightened security to prevent similar incidents from happening. However, the risk of terrorist attacks is still lurking, in which the British Foreign Office also specified that aviation facilities in Türkiye are among the high-risk targets.

President Tayyip Erdogan said the attacks would not derail Türkiye's goals (Getty).

2017 with the "shadow" of 2016

Just over 10 days earlier, the entire country of Türkiye was shocked by the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov while he was attending an art exhibition in Istanbul, creating a rare incident in the history of world diplomacy.

During a year with too many terrorist attacks and suicide bombings, the bloodiest of which was the bombing at Antaturk International Airport that killed 36 people and injured nearly 150, the assassination of the Russian Ambassador was the final attack that closed a difficult year for Türkiye.

However, just over an hour into the new year, the shooting at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul was a stark warning to the Turkish government that, despite security measures, terrorist attacks are still a real threat that Turkey will face in 2017.

In a message to the people and media after the terrorist attack, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan pledged to take measures to ensure domestic security from the beginning of 2017. Currently, Turkish police have launched a large-scale manhunt to find the perpetrators.

According to Turkish Prime Minister Yildirim, the country's authorities have discovered some details about the shooting but have not yet determined who was behind the incident, but there is a high possibility that the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS) organization was involved in this terrorist attack.

Riot police are being deployed across Türkiye. Photo: CNN

Meanwhile, based on intelligence information, the UK has warned Türkiye about the risk of terrorist attacks at aviation facilities. In addition, some attacks may target the interests and tourists of Western countries, especially in major cities in Türkiye. In addition to information support, a series of countries such as Russia, the US, and the UK have expressed their readiness to cooperate with Türkiye to deal with the risk of terrorist attacks in the coming time.

Firm foreign policies

The fact that Türkiye has been hit by a series of terrorist attacks in 2016 and into 2017 is believed to be partly due to the policy it is pursuing in Syria, especially its increasingly active participation in the fight against IS.

In the recent assassination of the Russian ambassador, the perpetrator, a former security officer, also hinted that his motive was Türkiye’s involvement in Syria. Türkiye has allowed US aircraft to take off from Incirlik Air Base to destroy IS fighters in Iraq and Syria. At the same time, it has increased efforts to prevent foreign fighters from moving across the border into Syria to supplement IS forces.

In 2016, Türkiye's policy in Syria continued to change dramatically when it officially entered the ground war with Operation Euphrates Shield from August 24, 2016. Since then, Türkiye has joined forces with Russia and the Syrian army to destroy IS throughout Syria. Along with the strong improvement of relations with Russia and Iran - Syria's two closest allies, Turkey has also softened its demands against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

The scene after the attack on the Reina nightclub in Istanbul. Photo: AFP

Turkey no longer considers the overthrow of the Syrian regime as its top priority, but instead the goal of ensuring national security against terrorist threats from IS and Kurdish armed groups in the region that it considers terrorist. It is undeniable that, with close cooperation with Russia and later Iran, Turkey has contributed a lot to pushing IS into a difficult situation.

Therefore, it is understandable that Türkiye has become a target for IS's retaliatory attacks. Counter-terrorism expert Sinan Ulgen said that, with its shared border with Syria and Iraq, where IS controls parts of the territory, Türkiye is an easy terrain for IS operations - much easier than in Europe.

But there is no indication that Türkiye will back down. “No terrorist activity will derail Türkiye’s goals,” President Erdogan said firmly after the Reina nightclub attack. The president could use the incident as an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how Turkey will be united and strong in the face of new threats in 2017.

Thuy Ngoc