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Turkey becoming target for terror attacks, no surprise: Analyst

Monday, 02 January 2017 7:24 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 02 January 2017 7:24 PM ]

Turkish anti-riot police officers stand guard near the Reina night club, early on January 1, 2017 after a gunmen went on a shooting rampage in the nightclub during New Year's Eve celebrations. (Photo by AFP)

A gun massacre at an Istanbul nightclub has claimed the lives of nearly 40 people and wounded dozens more. The shooting rampage occurred in the early hours of Sunday, when a gunman, wearing a Santa Claus costume, entered the Reina nightclub at the popular Besiktas area in Istanbul and rained down a hail of bullets on New Year revelers.

Catherine Shakdam, director of Shafaqna Institute for Middle Eastern Studies in London, believes it is no surprise that now that Turkey has decided to distance itself from the countries that are supporting terrorism, it has become a target for terror attacks.

“Ever since the failed coup d'état, it is quite clear that Turkey has been earmarked for destruction by Wahhabi Saudi Arabia and those who continue from the shadow to support terrorism,” the analyst told Press TV.

She also stated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s resolve to open up his country to “the like of Daesh and the Wahhabist ideology” has allowed these terrorists to basically breed in Turkey.

She went on to say Turkey’s decision to side against Syria and to promote terrorism is now backfiring against it.

The analyst further dismissed President Erdogan’s stance on counter-terrorism as “very hypocritical”, arguing that he should take a look at Riyadh if he is indeed after targeting the main source of terrorism.

Turkey has come under many attacks over the past year, claimed by Kurdish militants and the Daesh Takfiri terror group, which operates in neighboring Syria and Iraq.

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