Terrorist Attack at Istanbul Nightclub Kills Dozens
ISTANBUL — A gunman opened fire at an Istanbul nightclub filled with New Year’s revelers early Sunday morning, killing at least 39 people and injuring scores of others, according to Turkish officials.
The target of the attack was the upscale Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy neighborhood overlooking the Bosporus, which had maintained its popularity with a mostly affluent, cosmopolitan clientele despite a series of terrorist attacks that had severely crimped Turkey’s tourism industry. Popular among professional soccer players and soap opera stars, and with Turks and foreigners, the nightclub is known for its late-night parties and the beautiful view from its terrace.
As many as 600 people were estimated to have been in the club when the attacker, a lone gunman, burst in around 1:15 a.m. and opened fire.
Fifteen of the people killed were foreigners, the Foreign Ministry said. They included five Saudis; three Jordanians; two Lebanese men; two Indians; a Tunisian couple, one of whom was also a French citizen; a teenager from Israel; and a dual citizen of Belgium and Turkey, according to news agencies and government statements.
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RELATED COVERAGE
In Turkey, a Capstone to a Violent Year. In Germany, a Realization of Fears. DEC. 20, 2016
In Istanbul, 38 Killed in 2 Blasts Possibly Targeting Police Officers DEC. 10, 2016
graphic
New Year’s Attack in Turkey Comes Amid Wave of Violence JUNE 28, 2016
Sixty-nine people were hospitalized, four in critical condition. Among the scores of injured people were citizens of France, Israel, Libya, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the mass shooting, which came as threats against Turkey by the Islamic State and its supporters have increased. It was the fourth terrorist attack in Turkey in less than a month.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters that the authorities did not yet have hard evidence on who was behind the attack. “Some details have started emerging, but the authorities are working towards a concrete result,” he told reporters. He denied widespread accounts that the gunman might have been dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, saying: “There is no truth to this. He is an armed terrorist as we know it.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s most powerful leader, said that terrorists were trying to break Turkey’s will.
“They are working to destroy our country’s morale and create chaos by deliberately targeting our nation’s peace and targeting civilians with these heinous attacks,” he said in a statement. “We will retain our coolheadedness as a nation, standing more closely together, and we will never give ground to such dirty games.”
He added, “Turkey is determined to continue to fight to the end against terror and to do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of its citizens and secure peace in the region.”
Gov. Vasip Sahin of Istanbul Province said a police officer outside the club had been killed before the bloodshed began inside.
By THE NEW YORK TIMES JAN. 1, 2017
The target of the attack was the upscale Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy neighborhood overlooking the Bosporus, which had maintained its popularity with a mostly affluent, cosmopolitan clientele despite a series of terrorist attacks that had severely crimped Turkey’s tourism industry. Popular among professional soccer players and soap opera stars, and with Turks and foreigners, the nightclub is known for its late-night parties and the beautiful view from its terrace.
As many as 600 people were estimated to have been in the club when the attacker, a lone gunman, burst in around 1:15 a.m. and opened fire.
Fifteen of the people killed were foreigners, the Foreign Ministry said. They included five Saudis; three Jordanians; two Lebanese men; two Indians; a Tunisian couple, one of whom was also a French citizen; a teenager from Israel; and a dual citizen of Belgium and Turkey, according to news agencies and government statements.
Continue reading the main story
RELATED COVERAGE
In Turkey, a Capstone to a Violent Year. In Germany, a Realization of Fears. DEC. 20, 2016
In Istanbul, 38 Killed in 2 Blasts Possibly Targeting Police Officers DEC. 10, 2016
graphic
New Year’s Attack in Turkey Comes Amid Wave of Violence JUNE 28, 2016
Sixty-nine people were hospitalized, four in critical condition. Among the scores of injured people were citizens of France, Israel, Libya, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the mass shooting, which came as threats against Turkey by the Islamic State and its supporters have increased. It was the fourth terrorist attack in Turkey in less than a month.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters that the authorities did not yet have hard evidence on who was behind the attack. “Some details have started emerging, but the authorities are working towards a concrete result,” he told reporters. He denied widespread accounts that the gunman might have been dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, saying: “There is no truth to this. He is an armed terrorist as we know it.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s most powerful leader, said that terrorists were trying to break Turkey’s will.
“They are working to destroy our country’s morale and create chaos by deliberately targeting our nation’s peace and targeting civilians with these heinous attacks,” he said in a statement. “We will retain our coolheadedness as a nation, standing more closely together, and we will never give ground to such dirty games.”
He added, “Turkey is determined to continue to fight to the end against terror and to do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of its citizens and secure peace in the region.”
Gov. Vasip Sahin of Istanbul Province said a police officer outside the club had been killed before the bloodshed began inside.
By THE NEW YORK TIMES JAN. 1, 2017
