Why has terror come to the cities in Turkey- A timeline

New Delhi, June 29: Tuesday's attack at Istanbul airport which is being blamed on the ISIS appears to be an attempt to scare the foreign tourists. There are a host of issues which have led to conflicts in Turkey which also includes a battle between Kurdish groups and the government.

The ISIS too has joined the race. While on one hand the ISIS wants to prevent the Kurds from gaining territory in Syria and Iraq on the other hand they also want to spread panic among the foreign tourists who had once termed Turkey a safe destination.

Terror in the cities:

In the recent months Turkey has witnessed several attacks in the cities. Most of the attacks were restricted to the south eastern part of the country where the Kurdish groups would target the military.

However it is a hardline group called the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks or the TAK who brought the fight to the cities and focused primarily on Ankara and Istanbul.

The government had entered into a cease fire with the Kurdistan Workers Party. However following an attack on the Kurds by the ISIS, the cease fire came to an end. The Kurds had blamed the government for protecting the ISIS. The TAK which is a hardline outfit took advantage of the failed cease fire and brought the fight to the cities.

The ISIS which is also battling the Kurdish groups has also raised objections to Turkey being part of a coalition with the US. The ISIS primarily has been targeting civilians. While the foreign tourists are the main targets, they also want to ensure that Turkey no longer is a preferred destination for travellers.

A time line of attacks:

June 29, 2016- Attack at Ataturk Airport in which 36 have died. ISIS blamed.

June 7, Istanbul: Car bomb kills seven police officers and four civilians. TAK blamed.

March 19, Istanbul: Suicide bomb kills four people. ISIS blamed.

March 13, Ankara: 34 die in car bomb. TAK blamed.

February 17, Ankara: Attack on military van kills 29. TAK blamed.

January 12, Istanbul: 11 Germans killed in bomb attack. ISIS blamed.

Attacks in 2015:

December 23, Istanbul: Bomb kills one at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport. TAK blamed.

October 10, Ankara: 100 killed at peace rally outside railway station. ISIS blamed.

July 20, Suruc: 34 people killed in bombing. ISIS blamed

OneIndia News