Ankara Explosion

[Scunner]

It's not all about the bombings though. People are turning their backs on Turkey for many reasons - including a belief that they are allowing/assisting the migrant exodus from the Middle East into the EU, and the belief that Turkey are funding ISIL through the alleged illegal purchase of oil supplies from them.

[DonM]

We will be returning to Turkey on the 1st October this year but for only 90 days. Our residency permits expire on the 12th December and we have decided we do not want all the hassle of renewing them.

We have been wintering in Turkey for the last 14 years and for the last six years we have spent six months at a time in Kaya.

Does anybody know when the December/January flights Dalaman to Gatwick will be out, I've looked on Sky scanner but there's nothing there yet.

[JohnF]

What's ironic is without one bomb etc in a tourist resort people are already thinking of not going to Turkey

In reality Glenn, people have stopped "thinking of not going to Turkey" and are simply not going - as the figures released by the two largest holiday companies (for Turkey) have shown.

The going/not going debate on here is simply going round in circles. 

The vast majority of CBF members will carry on booking and planning their trips until a) something serious happens in the resorts or b) the FCO issue a travel directive that relates directly to Fethiye, Calis etc.

Unfortunately, the membership of CBF isn't going to make up for the tens of thousands of British "two weeks in the sun with cheap food and drink" folks who are the lifeblood of local businesses.  Nor will they make up for the tens of thousands of Germans and Scandinavians who flock to to the resorts further along the coast.  It's going to be a hard year or two for the seasonal businesses that rely on tourism and I suspect many won't make it.  Even the all year round places are going to struggle - many rely on the summer season to make enough money to pay the bills and staff during the leaner months thus allowing them to stay open during the Winter.

I'll be in Istanbul over the next few months and if I can get down south I will.  Unfortunately, even my bar bill is unlikely to stave off the inevitable for a few wee places we've seen spring up in recent years who I suspect won't have the resources to see them through a poor season.

JF

[Karennina]

Hell im defo going unless like others the FO stops travel to Turkey or something happens in our lovely neck of the woods, lets keep everything crossed that this does not happen...

Don do you mean the Thomas Cook flights direct to Dal for Dec Jan? If so i have defo read ( prob on facebook) they have pulled these flights from their schedule this year too, which if its true is such ashame for all expats, property owners etc who rely on these flights to get back to the uk and home again to see their families...

[Scunner]

Yes the TC December Dalaman flights are a thing of the past now. I think it will be Turkish Airlines via Istanbul or TC into Antalya. Antalya is crazy prices for Christmas time and of course you run the risk of them being pulled as Antalya will have to get through the toughest season of all first.

[JohnF]

TAK (Kurdish Freedom Falcons) have been operational in Turkey since 2004. They are an extremist breakaway from the PKK. They have claimed responsibility for the recent Ankara bombings.

Looks like nothing will divert the Turkish government from their belief it was YPG:

Davutoglu also rejected the claim of responsibility by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) for the Ankara bombing.

TAK, which has been linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), said the attack was revenge for operations by the Turkish military in the southeast of the country.

But the Turkish government insists that the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) were behind the attack, in a joint operation with the PKK.

"It has been very clearly determined that this attack was the work of the PKK-YPG," Davutoglu said.

The assertions have been greeted with scepticism from the US, causing an increasingly acrimonious split between the key NATO allies.

So...  one group say "we didn't do it" and another say"that's right, we did it" but the PYD/YPG get the blame. 

JF

More: Aljazeera

[Colwyn]

Do you know much about TAK John? I was a little suspicious that they took a while to claim the attack. Perhaps stepping into a vacuum with no one else claiming responsibility? Do they have the resources to mount a widespread campaign? They seem to specialize in one-off, infrequent attacks (but, of course, suicide bombers tend to specialize in one-off attacks!) mostly in Istanbul. They wouldn't be the first wannabe terror group boosting their profile by claiming outrages with which they weren't involved, but perhaps the Ankara claim is genuine.

Mind you, I wouldn't put much weight on what Davutoglu has to say either.

[JohnF]

No, very little other than they are a "splinter" group from the PKK.  Funny thing is, several of the historical bombings they now appear to be credited with I recall at the time the blame being put on the PKK, and the PKK also claiming responsibility for them.  No mention of TAK.

I'm wondering if there is a little bit of "historical revisionism" going on here.

JF