Terrorists killed at least 41 people and wounded hundreds more in a deadly attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport Tuesday evening.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the coordinated terrorist attack at the third-largest airport in Europe. Three attackers arrived at the airport by taxi and began shooting, officials said, with two in the international terminal and one located in the parking lot. Police engaged the attackers, and the assailants then detonated their suicide vests, according to reports.
Although there have been no claims of responsibility, CIA Director John Brennan said on Wednesday that the terror attack in Istanbul “certainly bears the hallmarks of ISIL’s depravity.”
“To my knowledge, there is no credible claim of responsibility at this point. But that's not very surprising, because at least in most instances if not all, ISIS has not claimed credit or responsibility for attacks that are perpetrated inside of Turkey," Brennan said at a Council on Foreign Relations event. "I think what they do is they carry out these attacks to gain the benefits from it, in terms of sending a signal to our Turkish partners, and at the same time not wanting to potentially maybe alienating some of those individuals inside of Turkey that they may still be trying to gain the support of."
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told journalists that “the evidence points to Daesh (another name for ISIS),” Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News reported. Turkey has been rocked by a number of terrorist attacks this year, with some claimed by Kurdish militants and others blamed on ISIS. Tuesday’s attack was the deadliest.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan released a statement saying that “we expect that a resolute stance against terrorist organizations should be adopted by the world and especially Western countries with their parliament, media and non-governmental organizations.”
Turkey, he said, “will continue its fight against all terrorist organizations at all costs until the end of terrorism.” The country has declared Wednesday a day of national mourning.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement on Tuesday that the U.S. “condemns in the strongest possible terms” the “heinous terrorist attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport.”
“We remain steadfast in our support for Turkey, our NATO Ally and partner, along with all of our friends and allies around the world, as we continue to confront the threat of terrorism,” he said.
And on Wednesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the attack “not the act of a martyr” but the act of “murderers.” The U.S. stands “in very strong solidarity with our friends in Turkey,” he said in Washington, D.C. at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event.
“Our friend, our partner, our NATO ally Turkey once again, the victim of a terrorist attack. This is unfortunately a scenario that we’ve seen repeat itself all too frequently in recent months in Turkey,” he said. “What we saw yesterday was not the act of a martyr, but the act of a murderer, and murderers."
Timeline of Terrorist Attacks in Turkey
8 June 2016, Midyat
Three people killed by a car bomb, targeting Turkish police. Two civilians and one police killed. No formal claim of responsibility, but government officials blamed Kurdish militants.
7 June 2016, Istanbul
11 people killed by a car bomb attack, targeting a police bus in Istanbul's historic Fatih district. No claim of responsibility.
13 March 2016, Ankara
At least 37 people killed when a car bomb hit a key bus transport hub in the city. Kurdish Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility.
31 March 2016, Diyarbakir
Seven police officers killed by a car bomb, close to a bus terminal in southeastern Turkey, about 170 kilometers (100 miles) from the Syrian border. No claim of responsibility.
19 March 2016, Istanbul
Four killed by a suicide bombing in Istanbul's central Beyoğlu district, in front of the district governor's office. ISIS claimed responsibiity.
12 January 2016, Istanbul
10 people killed and 15 injured, including German tourists, in a suicide bombing in the city's historic Sultanahmet Square, near the tourist attractions of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The Syrian attacker was affiliated with ISIS and entered Turkey as a refugee.
23 December 2015, Istanbul
A cleaner killed in an attack at Istanbul’s second airport, Sabiha Gökçen International. The Kurdish Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was caused by a mortar.
1 December 2015, Istanbul
Five people injured by a bomb planted near a major Metro station during the city’s evening rush hour. No groups claimed responsibility for the attack, but authorities blamed ISIS.
10 October 2015, Ankara (deadliest in Turkey's history)
103 people were killed and 250 wounded when two suicide bombers targeted a peace rally. The attacks were the deadliest in the country’s history. The attackers were identified as ISIS cell members.
10 August 2015, Istanbul and Sirnak
Seven people killed in two separate incidents. In Sirnak province, a roadside bomb claimed the lives of four police officers. A soldier also died after gunmen fired on a military helicopter. Separately, a bombing in Istanbul killed one attacker. A bomb disposal expert was killed in ensuing clashes. No claim of responsibility.
20 July 2015, Suruc
32 people killed and over 100 injured by a suicide bombing. The suicide bomber was an ethnic Kurd and reportedly had links to ISIS.
5 June 2015, Diyarbakır
Four killed in a bombing at a pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party rally in Diyarbakir, two days before Turkey's parliamentary elections. More than 100 were injured by the attack. No one claimed responsibility, but government officials said they suspected ISIS.
6 January 2015, Istanbul
One police officer killed by a female suicide bomber, who detonated her vest at a police station in the city's historic Sultanhamet district. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Leone Lakhani contributed to this story.
