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Looming new threats

Jan 08,2017 - Last updated at Jan 08,2017

Daesh shifted technically and tactically its method of carrying out terrorist operations in Istanbul; moreover, the assailant attacked at a vital time, New Year’s Eve celebrations, in spite of the warnings and the security measures that had been taken to face such potential danger.

This time, the attacker did not blow himself up or stayed at the site fighting until killed. On the contrary, he was able to flee the scene and go into hiding; he is still at large.

This gives an indication of the security challenges facing Turkey and other countries in the future, particularly since the fact that an operation of this magnitude could be carried out at a well-known tourist attraction in spite of all the security measures indicates that both the security system and the community could be infiltrated.

That one person was able to carry out such an operation means that there are elements working to facilitate all phases of the operation: access, mission and disappearance.

The strike came at a time Turkey is shifting its political position after the end of the battle for Aleppo, and starting to play a role in bringing parties to the negotiation table.

Successive strikes also occur at a time when Turkey’s security system is going through a restructuring phase, after the futile military coup attempt, that intensifies the complexity of Turkey’s mission and its ability to counter terrorism, apart from the political challenges and negative climate brought about by Turkish policy in recent years, which resulted in an increased number of enemies and fewer friends and allies.

Turkey has been trying very hard to recover from the dearth of tourism after the downing of the Russian fighter jet that stemmed the flow of Russian tourists, the destructive fallout of a number of terrorist attacks targeting European tourists, and then the bombing of Istanbul airport. 

All these were detrimental to tourism, and then came the latest attacks in Istanbul, a real blow to the Turkish economy and tourism, which have been strongly drained lately.

These developments are bound to affect other Turkish strategic projects as well, especially in the transportation sector and airports projects that have been seeking to turn Turkey into the largest hub in Europe.

The lack of security as witnessed now will further isolate Turkey; the sense of security that has been being felt for many long years could be lost in a matter of few months, especially when civilians are the main target of terrorist attacks, not just the security forces.

The attack in Istanbul indicates a shift in the nature of operations implemented by Daesh, which, while still using similar traditional operations, will incorporate far more complicated planning and technical dimensions.

Accordingly, the world might be witnessing more complex and sophisticated operations in the future.

 

 

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