OPINION | Ankara Bombings : Repercussion or Deception

By IndraStra Global Editorial Team On, October 10, 2015 – Twin Bombings at Ankara (Capital of Turkey) is the deadliest single terr...

By IndraStra Global Editorial Team

On, October 10, 2015 – Twin Bombings at Ankara (Capital of Turkey) is the deadliest single terrorist attack on Turkish soil which may expose the whole country a heightened campaign of such attacks from Islamic State. The bombings prior to elections may also poison an already volatile political atmosphere and further inflame relations between the state and Turkey's Kurdish groups, some of which were prominently involved in the Ankara rally.

On three occasions this year, rallies organized by Kurdish groups in Turkey have been hit by bomb attacks. A suicide bombing in the town of Suruc near the Syrian border in July killed 34 people. A supporter of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was blamed for carrying out that attack, but the group never claimed responsibility.

According to Professor İlter Turan, at outset of a long term geo-political outcome with respect to current situation - Turkey is simply undermining its own potential to be influential in world affairs. Furthermore, with the current flux in policy, there might be problematical economic outcomes -- investments and exports may decline. Plus, Turkey might have difficulties in achieving domestic peace., Last Saturday’s Ankara Bombings are just the multiple tips of an iceberg.

In any democratic society, when an agreement has been reached, the public needs to be informed. Apart from the refugee question, Mr. Erdoğan wants Europe to be more supportive of Turkey's position in Syria. It's a complex problem with multiple actors involved. NATO, the US and France have been involved in trying to bring about an end to the conflict. But the EU as such has not been a major actor. The EU's central concern seems to be not allowing in large numbers of Syrian and other refugees, who are trying to get into the EU through Turkey or other ways.

By all indications, Turkey's friends and important members of the international community do not share Turkey's expectations. First of all, there is a consensus that Islamic State is the immediate problem, and they tend to view Assad as part of the solution; Turkey's insistence that he should go away is not shared by the international community.

Second, from the very beginning, the idea that somehow a safe zone could be established has come under challenge. Because without boots on the ground, it is very difficult to see how a safe zone could be established exclusively by air defense. There is also a further complication regarding the pro-Kurdish Democratic Union Party [PYD]. Turkey perceives the PYD to be inimical to its interests; the United States, on the other hand, sees the PYD as an ally to fight Islamic State. And Russians and Iranians are extending protection to Mr. Assad. Turkey's position appears to be more and more out of touch with the realities of the situation. This makes it difficult for Turkey to get what it wants.

A major part of the problem in Turkey is that an entire political organization has become very dependent on the judgments, success or failure of one individual. The current danger is that because Turkey does not have coherent and consistent policies, it will not have a stable place in the international system. Foci of power, such as the bureaucracy, the banking system, industrial associations and trade unions have been mostly coopted by the AKP. Opposition political parties are largely discredited. The military, once active in politics as the defender of the Kemalist secular tradition, has been successfully sidelined.It will become more and more isolated and less and less effective in implementing foreign policy. Its credibility is being undermined; it is not managing to mobilize forces in the international system to achieve its policy.

Now, looking through a deceptive angle - the very first question it arises - why these bombings only happens at pro-Kurdish rallies?, second question is - who is actually benefiting from these bombings? ,third question is - how come a Turkey releases information in 24 hours time frame by branding Islamic State as the perpetrators of these bombings?, fourth question - Islamic State being one of the most media savvy and propaganda oriented terror organization, never claims the responsibilities of these bombings in open domain, why?, fifth and final question - If Islamic State is the perpetrator of bombings, then why Turkey launches a series of air strikes against Kurdish Worker's Party PKK rebel sites as an act of retaliation? 

If a whole nation believes a persistent lie in order to score at geo-political front and tilt opinions, how will that affect the public life of the country? This is a major problem for Turkey, though only a few Turks will admit it.

Image Source: An injured woman is comforted following an explosion at the main train station in Ankara on Oct. 10, 2015. Photo: Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images