Turkey is still reeling from the terrorist assault unleashed last week at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, an attack that killed 44 people and wounded 240 others. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the likely culprit is the Islamic State group. The attack comes in the wake of a foreign policy shift by President Recep Tayyip Ergodan, who is attempting to reclaim Turkey's position as a critical player in Mideast politics. The turnaround by Ankara is the right move, but it will likely lead to more terrorist attacks.
When he took power over a decade ago, Erdogan presented himself as a moderate Muslim leader who would position Turkey as a bridge between the West and the Middle East, and the Islamic world more generally. Over time, Erdogan has shed his moderation, consolidating more power and pushing the boundaries of secularism in domestic policy.
A foreign policy that sought to reach out to Israel as well as Turkey's more traditional partners in the Arab world tilted increasingly away from Tel Aviv. When Israel attempted in 2010 to interdict a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists reportedly trying to break the blockade against Gaza, the incident turned bloody. Nine Turkish citizens were killed and dozens of others wounded. Turkey suspended ties with Israel and Erdogan denounced the country at the United Nations, calling the act a "bloody massacre" and "state terrorism."
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