Turkey Tourist Bombings
The Turkey Tourist Bombings refer to a series of violent incidents that occurred in late August 2006, targeting popular tourist destinations in Turkey, specifically Marmaris and Antalya. On August 27 and 28, bomb explosions resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to over 40 others, including foreign tourists. The Kurdistan Liberation Hawks (TAK), believed to be an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), claimed responsibility for these attacks, which were part of a broader campaign against Turkey's economy and its lucrative tourism sector.
The first bombing involved an explosion on a minibus carrying tourists in Marmaris, causing numerous injuries, while another blast in Antalya killed three people and injured 20. The incidents marked a significant shift in the tactics of Kurdish nationalists, who had previously focused on infrastructure targets, now openly aiming to disrupt Turkey's vital tourism industry. Following these attacks, Turkey's tourism income was reported to have declined significantly, and the government struggled to find effective measures to prevent further violence. The bombings highlighted the ongoing tensions surrounding Kurdish nationalism and the complexities of the conflict within Turkey.
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Turkey Tourist Bombings
Date: Aug. 26, 28, 2006.
Place: Antalya and Marmaris, both Turkish coastal tourist destinations popular with Europeans and Russians; and Istanbul.
Incident: A series of bomb explosions on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28, 2006, killed three and injured at least 40.
Known or presumed perpetrators: The Kurdistan Liberation Hawks, (TAK) a group believed to be an offshoot of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), claimed responsibility.
Context: As part of their long-standing resistance against Turkey's official government and agitation for a separate homeland for the Kurds, both PKK and TAK have targeted Turkey's economy. PKK is more likely to stage attacks against infrastructure like rail and pipe lines; TAK has vowed to destroy Turkey's lucrative tourist industry.
Incident: The first incident, late Sunday evening, Aug. 27, 2006, involved an explosion on a minibus shuttling tourists from a beach in Marmaris, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, to the town center. As the shuttle drew up to the Eden Hotel, a bomb, apparently placed aboard it, detonated. 21 people, including 10 British tourists, were injured. Two additional blasts, these from explosives planted in garbage cans, occurred that night in other neighborhoods of Marmaris, and caused no injuries.
Local police report the detention of one suspect in the bombings but released no further details.
The following day, Monday, August 28, an explosion in the resort town of Antalya, known as the capital of Turkey's lucrative Mediterranean tourism, killed three and wounded 20. No foreigners were injured in the incident. The bomb is thought to have been planted among parked motorbikes near the Municipality Business Center. It exploded about one hour before business was to close for the day.
Except for the incident in Marmaris, where the explosive is thought to have been placed inside the minibus, all of the explosions came from IEDs placed in sidewalk trashcans.
Perpetrators/Suspects: An official from the Antalya security forces reported that sketches had been completed of two suspects seen loitering near the motorbikes. The Kurdistan Liberation Hawks claimed responsibility for the blasts in Marmaris, the blast in Antalya, and for an additional blast on Sunday, Aug. 27, in Istanbul.
These three most recent incidents show all the earmarks of a TKK operation. The group favors small IEDs that can easily be stashed in sidewalk trash cans or stowed under a seat in a small bus. They do not seem to aim for widespread damage, although the placements are usually in high pedestrian traffic areas. The group often chooses to target police buildings or other municipal offices.
Impact: According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, tourism is down by about eight percent so far in 2006 compared with the previous year. In dollar terms, Turkey now expects to realize on the order of $3 million dollars less in tourism income for the current year. The government is forced to acknowledge that it has not yet found an effective way of halting the attacks.
History/Background: Kurdish nationalists have long fought for a separate Kurdistan that would incorporate part of southwestern Turkey, northern Iraq, and northwestern Iran-the three countries that have the largest population of ethnic Kurds. Terrorist tactics have long been a favored tactic of Kurdish nationalists.
The 2006 attacks on Turkey's tourist industry marked a new turn in the Kurdish independence movement, targeting the country's lucrative tourist industry. At the same time, the Kurdish campaign has largely been overlooked in the West as attention has focused on the war in Iraq. In that conflict Kurdish independence groups have established a semi-autonomous zone in the north while the United States and the official government in Baghdad. Sunni insurgents, al Qaeda terrorists, and Shi'ite militias struggled for domination in the southern part of Iraq.
The catalogue of small bomb attacks in Turkey in the first eight months of 2006 included:
Feb. 13: 11 injured in front of supermarket in Istanbul.
Mar. 15: 2 injured outside bank in Dyarbakir, near Syrian border.
Mar. 31: 1 killed, 13 injured near bus stop in Istanbul.
Apr. 16: 31 hurt in residential area in Istanbul.
Jun. 3: 14 injured near shopping center in port city, Mersin.
Jun. 25: 4 killed, 25 injured in restaurant in Antalya.
Aug. 4: 13 injured in two attacks in southern Turkey.
Aug. 27: 21 injured in Marmaris.
Aug. 27: 6 injured in Istanbul.
Aug. 28: 3 killed, two dozen hurt in Antalya.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was founded in 1974 with the avowed mission of establishment of a separate independent Kurdish nation. About 12 million ethnic Kurds live in southeastern Turkey; they have long wished to join with fellow Kurds living in southern Iraq to form their own country on what is now Turkish soil.
Since 1984 an estimated 37,000 have died in clashes between PKK and Turkish forces. In 1999 PKK announced a cease-fire; PKK later changed its name to the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK) and announced its commitment to nonviolent activities in support of Kurdish rights. However, at least one faction of the party disavowed the cease-fire in 2004 on grounds that Turkey was not acting in good faith.
It was after the resumption of hostilities that the Kurdistan Liberation Hawks began to claim responsibility for attacks, leading to the belief that they are an aggressive arm of the PKK. Following the Marmaris attack, this statement was posted on the TAK Web site: "We vow to turn the monstrous TC (Turkish Republic) into hell…with our warriors who have pledged revenge."
Bibliography
"Tourism Picking Up in Kurdish Southeast," World & I; Sep. 2004, Vol. 19 Issue 8.
"Out of Fashion," Business Middle East; 6/1/2006, Vol. 14 Issue 11, p. 11.
Wells, Rhona. "Middle East destinations lead the field," Middle East, April 2006 Issue 366, p. 48.