Ankara attack exposes the pitiless nature of terrorism

As friends and allies of Turkey rally round the country after Wednesday’s gun and bomb attack on an aerospace company near Ankara, it is still unclear what exactly the assailants hoped to achieve. However, the pitiless nature of terrorism was highlighted by the fact that the five people the two attackers murdered were innocent civilians, including a taxi driver whose remains were stuffed by the killers into the boot of his cab.

Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries building, Yasar Guler, the country’s Defence Minister, said the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) – a militant organisation – was behind it. Sadly, for years Turkey’s people have been on the receiving end of violent attacks from a range of violent organisations that include Kurdish separatists such as the PKK as well as the extremists of ISIS and ultra-left radicals.

Turkey says PKK suspects in deadly Ankara defence company attack

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What is particularly alarming about Wednesday’s attack is that it comes at a time of relative calm in Turkey, an important regional player and Nato member. In 2015 and 2016, the country was gripped by fear as it experienced a wave of indiscriminate suicide bombings in Ankara and Istanbul, mostly the work of ISIS and the PKK. Smaller but no less serious attacks also took place during this time, such as the 2015 shooting of a Turkish prosecutor being held prisoner by two ultra-left gunmen in an Istanbul courthouse.

Nevertheless, Turkey’s pivotal role in Middle Eastern and European affairs, as well as its location mean that it will often be a target for terrorism. Despite the diligent work of Turkish intelligence and law enforcement, some attacks still take place. Six people lost their lives and dozens were wounded in a bomb attack on central Istanbul’s bustling Istiklal Avenue in November 2022. In January this year, ISIS-K claimed responsibility for a shooting in which one person was killed at a Catholic church in the city.

Turkish retaliation has been swift. Hours after the Ankara attack, the Turkish Defence Ministry said at least 32 targets were destroyed in an aerial offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria. This is a continuation of regular strikes against the PKK in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, where it has bases, and Kurdish militia groups in Syria. Turkey’s desire to thwart the threat posed by militants is understandable and would be the reaction of any state defending its people, but amid claims of at least a dozen civilian casualties in Syria, every step to avoid unnecessary deaths or uncontrolled escalation is needed.

Turkey has the support of many allies and international organisations at this time. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed solidarity with Turkey, and strongly condemned the attack. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, and other Nato member states such as France and Germany, condemned Wednesday’s deadly attack. The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs too said the Emirates strongly condemned these “criminal acts”. As Turkey’s government continues to grapple with the consequences of such a high-profile attack near the country’s capital, the incident should be a solemn reminder that militant groups risk the lives of civilians and cannot be tolerated.