Turkish Terror Could Cause Difficult Decisions

A suicide bomber with ISIS ties shook Istanbul Saturday, according to Turkey's Interior Minister Efkan Ala. CNN reports the attacker was identified as Mehmet Ozturk, a man with evidence linking him to the Islamic State. There has been no claim of responsibility from the Islamic State or any other terrorist organization. The blast occurred in a tourist heavy area and left four dead with 36 injured. U.S. Security Council spokesman Ned Price stated America stands with Turkey, "These repeated acts of terrorism must come to an end. We are in close touch with Turkish authorities and reaffirm our commitment to work together with Turkey to confront the evil of terrorism." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke against the attack on "innocent civilians and our ally Turkey." Stoltenberg said the NATO allies stand united to fight terrorism in all of its forms. This attack came a week after a deadly car bomb exploded in the Turkish capital on March 13, which the Kurdish Freedom Falcons (TAK) has since claimed responsibility.

Terrorism, although not new or easily defined, has reached new heights with the formation of al Qaida and now the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The news of this attack troubles people because of the Turkish/Syrian/Iraqi border. The United States, along with 26 other nations are bound by treaty to protect Turkey by NATO. This issue concerns the U.S. because it may lead to deployment of more troops and putting boots on the ground. The idea of increased deployment is an already debated issue, so continued attacks in Turkey could lead to increased political disruption in the United States. The shooting down of a Russian plane by Turkish soldiers in November of last year caused tensions in the United States' own government. However, since Turkey has distanced itself as a military ally for the United States, it remains unclear to what extent the U.S. will go to protect and defend Turkey from their neighbors.

Original Article: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/20/europe/turkey-blast/index.html