ISIL targets Turkey in terror attacks

NY Times:

ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack at Istanbul Club


  • The militant group praised the “blessed operations that the Islamic State is conducting against Turkey” and made apparent reference to the country’s role in the conflict in Syria.
  • The gunman who killed at least 39 people at a nightclub was still at large after the New Year’s attack.
Turkey is an enemy of convenience for ISIL and The Turks' incursion into ISIL's war in Syria was probably looked at by ISIL as an invitation to attack.  It is much easier for them to get a terrorist into Turkey than into the US or Europe although those are certainly possible too.

The Turks have also complicated the fight with ISIL by using it as an excuse to attack the Kurds who were the only effective ground troops against ISIL for much of the war.  The Turks have made the bogus claim that the US is helping ISIL by refusing to bomb our Kurdish allies.

What the Turks should do is focus their efforts on taking the caliphate capitol of Raqqa and solve their dispute with the Kurds later.   Otherwise, they are just prolonging their vulnerability to terror attacks.

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