Deja vu
Turkey was already reeling under terrorist attacks when the year came to a close Another one on the new year’s eve that killed over 39 does not bode well for 2017. The incident is all the more painful because Turkey is a friendly country which has helped Pakistan during the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods. Pakistan has itself faced the scourge for over a decade and has acquired a modicum of proficiency in dealing with terrorist networks, though it cannot be claimed that it has decisively put an end to terrorism. Islamabad needs to provide Turkey whatever support it can. It should particularly exchange intelligence and share its expertise with Ankara
What is happening in Turkey would give many Pakistanis a sense of déjà vus. As Turkey got embroiled in the Syrian civil war, it trained, armed and patronized some of the terrorist networks which were fighting against the Bashar al-Assad regime. By opening its borders to foreign fighters trying to reach Syria, it inadvertently supported the rise of the ISIS. As Erdogan abruptly changed policy and joined hands with Russia and Iran, the ISIS trained its guns on Turkey. Last week the network released a video showing how it burnt two Turkish soldiers alive. Among other things Turkey has to bear the burden of 2.5 million Syrian refugees. Like Pakistan Turkey too faces an ethnic question. In 2015, Erdogan renewed a stalled war with Kurdish militants who then initiated a chain of terrorist attacks in Turkish cities.
Turkey was on a rising trajectory till Erdogan started using the religious card, became increasingly authoritarian and dragged the country into the Syrian quagmire. The policies polarised the Turks. The subsequent spurt in terrorist attacks has taken the toll of the country’s multi-billion dollar tourist industry and scared away investors. It is feared that the latest attack would be used by Erdogan as an excuse for getting a freer hand to expand his crackdown on opponents and shut down whatever free media still exists.
