Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum

Turkey Related Subjects => Turkey Discussion Forum (Not Calis specifically) => Topic started by: Highlander on June 28, 2016, 20:22:40 PM

Title: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Highlander on June 28, 2016, 20:22:40 PM
Breaking News - explosion and gunfire :( :( :(

(Sorry posted in wrong section - please feel free to move)
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Highlander on June 28, 2016, 20:56:23 PM
Latest report is that 10 are dead. I fear that number will rise. :( :( :(
Title: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Fran on June 28, 2016, 21:03:55 PM
Terrible news. explosions in both terminals.


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Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: marina on June 28, 2016, 21:23:31 PM
Terrible news,  :(
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: KKOB on June 28, 2016, 21:39:06 PM
Most flights into IST are being diverted to SAW.

Departures are continuing.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Jacqui Harvey on June 28, 2016, 21:41:03 PM
B.A.Flight has been turned around and is on it's way back to the U.K.
This is just another nail in the coffin of Turkish Tourisim.   >:( :'(
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: bells on June 28, 2016, 21:46:06 PM
This is terrible news.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: DonM on June 28, 2016, 22:17:24 PM
BBC news now saying at least 28 killed. Terrible news.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Rana on June 28, 2016, 22:26:31 PM
I'm watching Turkish news all flights stopped in and out until tomorrow morning. Attack was International only not both ( domestic) 28 dead and 60 injured. All conflicting news on UK tv as usual.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: quackers on June 29, 2016, 04:22:35 AM
FB on shut down out here. Terrible news.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: desmartinson on June 29, 2016, 06:22:47 AM
Latest here at 8.00 am turkey time,  36 dead and 147 injured ,sad sad times for tourism in Turkey. :(
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: sunlover on June 29, 2016, 07:10:05 AM
Another terrible attack, thinking of all the people injured and all the families of those lost.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Rana on June 29, 2016, 08:01:21 AM
Our beautiful Turkey being destroyed by terrorism, more than 250 people killed in last 12 months by suicide bombings. Pray for Turkey and all countries affected by terrorism.  :(
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: BernieTeyze on June 29, 2016, 09:33:18 AM
Thoughts and prayers go out to all the people affected by this.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: stoop on June 29, 2016, 10:04:41 AM
There's a video doing the rounds of one attacker being shot by a police officer. He doesn't kill him, sees he has a bomb strapped to him, runs away and the terrorist detonates the bomb.

Can't blame the policeman but if he'd shot him through the head he might have stopped that bomb going off?

Terrible, terrible news!
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: patrice on June 29, 2016, 10:05:54 AM
Dreadful ....words fail me
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Anne on June 29, 2016, 10:13:17 AM
It's a sad world we live in :(
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Colwyn on June 29, 2016, 10:23:22 AM
Horrible news. It prompts me to wonder whether security arrangements need to be rethought. The development of airport security was originally intended to ensure that bombs and guns didn't get on to planes for use in hijacking or killing. Now terrorist tactics have changed and it is people at the airport who are the targets with the entrance hall being a weak spot. But also there are large numbers of arrivals and greeters in the leaving area. Has anyone ever been searched at an airport when going in to pick uo their family and friends? I haven't, and it looks like a soft target.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 29, 2016, 10:58:02 AM
I don't think the policeman not killing the terrorist had a large effect on the number of casualities.
Most people who died were outside.

One terrorist went inside whilst shooting a kalashnikov. When the policeman shot him, he detonated the bomb.

Because of the shooting, people started running outside where two more suicide bombers were waiting and they detonated themselves outside the entrance/exit.

Quit a "clever" plan if you think about it :(

@Colwyn, in most Turkish airports you can't enter the arrival part of the building. There is security at the door and they won't allow you in. You need to go throught the departure entrance and therefore through the security checks and then make your way to arrival. If you are allowed to enter the arrival part of the building directly, there will be security as well.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Colwyn on June 29, 2016, 11:06:39 AM
@Colwyn, in most Turkish airports you can't enter the arrival part of the building. There is security at the door and they won't allow you in. You need to go throught the departure entrance and therefore through the security checks and then make your way to arrival. If you are allowed to enter the arrival part of the building directly, there will be security as well.
Yes, but at Dalaman airport, for example, there is a large meeting point area for private greeters and taxis and nearby are the coach pickups for the tour companies. Is there any security check on those?
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 29, 2016, 11:28:01 AM
No checks on those but that is an outside area. They can't check every person/vehicle/luggage entering the airport area. That is mission impossible.
And why should they? And what would be next?

In Turkey there are already checks before you enter a shopping centre, train station, museums, etc.

In Holland, we don't have those kinds of checks. You can enter any airport without going through security. Schiphol airport is even designed to attract non-travellers just for shopping and dining.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Highlander on June 29, 2016, 12:09:43 PM
Death toll has risen to 41.

Horrendous, simply horrendous.

R.I.P all. :(
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: usedbustickets on June 29, 2016, 12:14:11 PM
Yes thrre appears to be the usual amount of BBC 'sniffy' reports about airport security in Turkey, and in some extent they are right and the security people could do more, but for all their faults they are still more secure than any British airport!
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 29, 2016, 12:17:12 PM
There is some news about the policeman who shot the terrorist.

According to the news report, he first shot him in his leg and then in his abdomen and arm.
When he noticed the man was going to detonate the bomb, he ran off but got hit by two pieces of shrapnel in his spleen.

His spleen has been removed during surgery and the policeman is out of danger.

A list with names of victims has been published. Excluding the terrorists, 39 people dead of which 13 foreigners (5 with dual citizenship) from Saudi, Iran, Jordan, Ozbekistan, Tunesia, Irak and Ukrayne.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Rana on June 29, 2016, 14:33:01 PM
I agree Dutchie i would much rather travel through a Turkish Airport than UK. No security checks until after check in! If i wanted to blow the place up I've already done it prior to check in. In Manchester Airport i finally saw two policemen by the duty free shop.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Daffodil on June 29, 2016, 17:09:28 PM
Condolences to all the families of the people whose lives were lost in this awful attack.

Thank you to all the security staff who are risking their lives trying to protect travellers at the airport. They are working daily with danger in their workplace. Apparently the policeman who shot one of the terrorists has had to have his spleen removed. Hopefully he is out of danger but he was very brave and I hope he is shown the gratitude he deserves.

Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: JohnF on June 29, 2016, 17:59:53 PM
A combination of a dead cell phone battery and then a social media blackout gave us an uncomfortable few hours until we made contact with a friend who was scheduled to arrive at Ataturk last night.  Like the Istiklal bomb, this is one that shook me a bit - I travel through Ataturk regularly and couldn't count how many times I've hung about the arrivals area either having a post flight smoke (yeah, yeah) or waiting for the Havas.

As for anyone suggesting that the authorities could have done more in respect of security, that's complete bollox.  Ataturk is a major international hub with tens of thousands of folks going through it every day.  Some arrive by metro, some by Havas but a good number arrive by taxi/private car - if you've ever travelled to the airport via the E5 you'll know the volume of traffic arriving every hour.  How are the authorities meant to secure a such busy airport without making it grind to a halt?  There has to be a balance and any regular visitor to Ataturk can testify to the amount of security thats been in place for the past nine months or so.

In fact, it is likely that due to the level of security two of these scumbags had to detonate themselves outside the terminal - the one who did make it inside was shot by a Polis.

Post Lockerbie the security at Heathrow was increased substantially and it is acknowledged now that the queues of folks waiting to get in to the airport would present this type of terrorist with a far better target - more bodies concentrated in one area.

Another sad day for Turkey.

JF

Edit: Just seen this  (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36664582)on BBC re airport security, funnily enough they cite Heathrow as well.

Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Highlander on June 29, 2016, 19:10:15 PM
The red line denotes (roughly) the area of Glasgow Airport where anyone can freely walk about without having had any security checks carried out on them.

(https://s31.postimg.org/doeret65j/image.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/doeret65j/)
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 30, 2016, 07:24:36 AM
More details are coming out related to the attack.

An undercover policeman notices a man wearing a winter jacket in summer and informs his colleague by whatsapp.
They assume he's a thief and decide to follow him whilst he makes his way to international departures.
Before the terrorist enters the building, policeman stops him and asks for his id.
The terrorist pretends to get his id from his bag but pulls out a gun and shoots the policeman three times.
The terrorist then runs off downstairs to the international arrival area and explodes himself near the taxi rank.
The policeman died in hospital :(

 

Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 30, 2016, 08:26:20 AM
Too bad I can't edit my previous post otherwise I would have added it there (not sure if anybody is interested in the story anyway) but here it goes:

Three men took a taxi to the airport. According to the taxi driver they spoke a foreign language which wasn't arabic.
They were dressed normal. They were carrying small backpacks and one suitcase.

Upon arrival at the airport, they went to the side and dressed up with vests and jackets and started to make their way. One towards the car park, one towards international arrivals and one towards international departures. A car park attendant sees the men and informs the police about their winter clothes.

As written above, an undercover policeman stops the terrorist on his way to departures who ends up exploding himself near the taxi rank where quite a lot of staff were waiting for the service buses to take them home so therefore a lot of victims.

The second terrorist makes his way from the car park into departures and enters the building shooting. There is xray check at the entrance but the staff there is not armed so they can't stop him. He shoots his way up till the passport control where he meets a policeman whom he shoots in the abdomen. The policeman shoots the terrorists three times and when he realizes he is a suicide bomber, he warns the bystanders and hides behind a pillar himself. The terrorist explodes himself but according to the newspaper, nobody got killed during the blast and not even during his shooting spree. 

Terrorist number 3 shoots his way through the staff entrance at the arrival lounge. People are trying to run out of the building and become an easy target for him since he is waiting for them. He doesn't get far inside the building and gets shot by a customs officer. He falls on the ground and detonates himself. The customs officer died in the blast.

It appears that terrorist no 2 who went into the building the furthest caused lots of injuries but nothing fatal.

Most fatalities were outside near the taxi rank.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Laura B on June 30, 2016, 08:51:37 AM
Many thanks for those posts Dutchie.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: JohnF on June 30, 2016, 09:33:25 AM
Interesting article in the Al-Monitor which suggests there may have been up to seven terrorists involved in this atrocity:

However, Al-Monitor spoke with security sources who claimed on condition of anonymity that seven people had been involved. Roughly 10 minutes after their arrival, they split into two groups and moved toward the security checkpoint at the terminal entrance. One of the attackers shouted in Turkish, “There is a bomb. It is going to explode," triggering panic among the large crowd waiting for the security checks. Then the attackers started firing randomly with their automatic rifles.

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/06/turkey-syria-istanbul-airport-attack-isis-kills-dozens.html (http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/06/turkey-syria-istanbul-airport-attack-isis-kills-dozens.html)

JF
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 30, 2016, 09:46:38 AM
One of the terrorists has been identified. Apparently he is a Chechen, linked to ISIS, and had been in Raqqa before coming to Turkey.
An image from a surveillance camera showing three terrorists is in the newspapers.
There might have been more people involved but apparently these three shared a taxi.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: JohnF on June 30, 2016, 09:51:15 AM
The Al-Monitor article is suggesting that there were two taxis of terrorists.  But its all speculation by the media at this time, no matter how "well connected" you claim your source to be.

Saying that, the fact one is now identified as a Chechen who came via Raqqa does give their story a little bit more credence.

JF
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: kayakebab on June 30, 2016, 10:44:07 AM
Interesting Dutchie. So it really could have been Isis this time.
Can I ask where you're getting such detailed info?

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Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 30, 2016, 12:15:15 PM
I got all info from the Hurriyet and Milliyet webpages.
Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: kayakebab on June 30, 2016, 12:45:01 PM
Thank you. Im never sure now which ones are still independent so have been avoiding all of them! 

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Title: Re: Attack at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Post by: Dutchie on June 30, 2016, 13:22:53 PM
None of them are :(