Today, Turkish police detained around 13 people in Istanbul and 9 in Izmir suspected to be part of the Istanbul attacks. On Tuesday, three suicide bombers entered Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, where they shot many people and then blew themselves up upon retaliation began by police. No one has taken responsibility for these heinous attacks but more information has surfaced about the perpetrators.
The three men on the forefront of the attacks have been said to come from the former USSR: Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. There is a strong indication that these men worked with the so-called Islamic State.
The suicide bombers crossed the border into Turkey from Raqqa, Syria, an ISIS stronghold. According to multiple sources, there is significant evidence held by Turkish officials that ISIS leadership was involved in the coordination and execution of the Istanbul airport attacks. CNN notes that when the men crossed over, about a month ago, they came well armed and with suicide bombing vests.
The main man behind the attacks is said to be Akhmed Chatayev, a Chechen of Russia and an alleged ISIS recruiter. Many sources say that the former USSR is an active recruiting ground for the so-called Islamic State. In October, Russian President Putin speculated that approximately 5,000 to 7,000 Russians are currently involved with ISIS.
Despite the multiple fingers being pointed to ISIS as the perpetrator of the attacks, they have not yet taken responsibility for these actions. ISIS did, however, take responsibility for the Brussels airport attacks that happened in March. The tragedy in Istanbul’s airport that occurred on Tuesday is similar to that of what happened in Brussels.
These kind of terror attacks are continuing to happen around the globe as more and more nations are feeling the effects of the so-called Islamic State and terrorism. Within the last year, Turkey has suffered from half a dozen major IS attacks on its country and has been struck even more by other groups, such as the PKK and the Kurds.
Turkey is seen as an enemy to many radical Islamic groups for its alliance with the United States and the West. Turkey has also been aiding the United States in its fight to defeat ISIS, an act that has led to many violent consequences in Turkey’s nation.
