Reyhanli Worst Terror Attack Turkey Has Witnessed
Despite such devastating tragedy, the Erdogan government is still trying to defend its Syria policy, writes Tulin Daloglu.
Two car bombs exploded five minutes apart in the Reyhanli city center, which is only 5 km [3 miles] from the Cilvegozu border gate with Syria, on May 11 at about 1:40 p.m., leaving 46 dead and more than 100 injured.
Its location was also close to the area where Gen. Atilla Ates, then commander of the Turkey’s ground forces, threatened Syria in October 1998 with military action if it did not expel the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. As a country fighting against PKK terror for almost four decades, the maximum number of people lost in a single terror attack in Turkey was in the PKK attack on a military bus carrying 33 unarmed conscripts on the Bingol-Elazig highway in October 1993. All 33 were killed, sending shock waves throughout the country. The heinous terrorist attack in Reyhanli unfortunately not only superseded the maximum number of dead in a single terror attack, but also became the deadliest attack targeting civilians. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said, “735 shops, 120 houses, 62 cars, and 8 state buildings have been damaged,” in the Reyhanli explosions.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after yesterday’s attacks: “This could be the work of those who could not digest the resolution process” with the PKK. The Erdogan government is engaging in direct talks with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to end the armed Kurdish struggle against the state, and the government openly criticizes the past government's mistakes in the fight against terror as a means to find a middle ground with the Kurdish nationalists. What is striking, however, is that the Erdogan government does not seem to tolerate any criticism of its Syria policy. Turkey’s geography has always been surrounded by deadly risks, and intervening in Syria’s domestic affairs was not the smartest thing that Turkey could have done for its own security interests. Unfortunately, Ankara’s policies are not so innocent in today’s tragedy. And Turks are questioning whether it was worth it to risk Turkish lives by intervening in Syria’s domestic politics.
“Some circles have focused on two issues: The first is, “Refugees are guilty,” said Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkish foreign minister, on May 12. “Second, the opposition brought to the agenda Turkey’s Syria policy rather than [talking about the] criminals. No excuse can justify to label people who seek refuge in Turkey as targets. That would be a crime against humanity.”
