Terror where east meets west ( 2003-11-21 14:41) (Economist.com)
Terror on the edge of Europe
Explosions have wrecked the British consulate and a bank in Istanbul,
following blasts at two synagogues in the city last week. Suspicion falls once
again on al-Qaeda.
It has been a deadly week for Turkey. On Thursday November 20th, a bomb
exploded at the main offices of HSBC, a British-based bank, in Istanbul. Minutes
later, another explosion ripped through the British consulate in another part of
the city. At least 27 people died and 450 were wounded. Among those killed was
Britain's consul-general to Turkey, Roger Short. These attacks came five days
after suicide blasts at two Istanbul synagogues killed 25 others, six of them
Jews at worship. As condemnation poured in from round the world, Turkey's
foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, vowed that his country would not bow to terror.
A victim is helped in front of the HSBC
Bank in Istanbul Thursday, November 20, 2003. Shattered bodies and rubble
were strewn across the streets of Turkey's commercial capital Istanbul as
the second pair of bombs in less than a week sent the city into a state of
shock. [Reuters]
The identities of Thursday's
bombers are still being probed. But Britain's foreign secretary, Jack Straw,
stated grimly that the latest attacks bear "all the hallmarks" of al-Qaeda and
its regional affiliates. An Egyptian offshoot of Osama bin Laden's terror
network, together with a local Turkish group, has claimed responsibility for
last weekend's attacks on the synagogues.
Whoever the culprits are, the attacks - four in one week - appear to be
co-ordinated. They also seem designed to attract international attention.
Although most of those killed have been Turkish passers-by, the targeted
buildings have been Jewish and British. Moreover, the latest blasts came in the
middle of President George Bush's state visit to London. What better way of
showing the American president and his chief ally, Britain's prime minister,
Tony Blair, that terror still thrives despite their efforts to eradicate it?
This week's bombings also fit a broader pattern of attacks in Muslim
countries. In the past 18 months, targets have included Indonesia (Bali and
Jakarta), Yemen, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and now Turkey. Why? For one thing, it
may be easier for terrorists to strike in these countries, especially following
the post-September 11th crackdown in America and Europe. But although the
majority of attacks have taken place in Muslim countries, the targets are almost
always western or Jewish interests.
Will the atrocities shake Turkey's government? Unlikely. Most Turks are
Muslim and the prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, is from a mildly Islamic party.
But Turkey is a secular democracy; its highest ambition is to join the European
Union. The Turkish people, like their counterparts in far-from-secular Saudi
Arabia earlier this month, have been horrified by the bombings—all the more so
since they were carried out during the holy month of Ramadan. The prime minister
is seen as a competent and efficient leader, and Turks will support him if he
aggressively pursues the terrorists.
However, there is little Mr Erdogan can do to stop the attacks hurting the
economy. Investors and tourists alike will be wary. Britain's Foreign Office has
warned against all but essential travel to Istanbul, Turkey's commercial
capital. Citigroup, an American bank, closed its branches in the city amid fears
that an attack on American interests would follow the attacks on Britons and
Jews.
For America, the Istanbul atrocities only underscore the importance of
stabilising Iraq (a neighbour of Turkey) and of staying on good terms with
Turkey, the only Muslim nation that is a member of NATO. There have been strains
between the two allies over Iraq: Turkey's parliament did not allow America to
launch a ground offensive through its territory, citing overwhelming domestic
opposition to the war. Lately, Turkey has edged back into America's good books
by becoming the only big Muslim country to offer troops—up to 10,000—to support
the occupation. But Iraq’s Governing Council, whose 24 Iraqi members were
hand-picked by America, rejected the offer owing to historical tensions between
Turkey and the Kurds of northern Iraq. Shaken by this week's events, Turkey will
now concentrate on stamping out the violence on its own soil.
