Senior Turkish official says nearly 31 people killed in attack at Istanbul's airport

[webfact]

Senior Turkish official says nearly 50 people killed in attack at Istanbul's airport

ISTANBUL (AP) — Senior Turkish official says nearly 50 people killed in attack at Istanbul's airport.

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The Latest: IS believed to be behind Istanbul airport attack

ISTANBUL (AP) — The Latest on the explosions at Istanbul's Ataturk airport

A senior Turkish government official has told The Associated Press all initial indications suggest the Islamic State group is behind the attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport.

The official also said nearly 50 people were killed in the attack Tuesday at the airport's international terminal and as many as four attackers may have been involved.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-29

----------------------

ISTANBUL (AP) - CORRECTS: Turkish officials say 31 people confirmed dead in airport attack, death toll expected to rise. (Corrects APNewsAlert that said nearly 50 killed)

[Scott]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

[Boon Mee]

These terrorists just keep on coming...

[simple1]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

[Credo]

I think that now is not necessarily a good time for Europe to be courting Turkey for visa free travel. Turkey needs a lot of help with refugees and with terrorists (not to mention dealing with a near-dictatorship), but containment is the best policy.

[katana]

Moment of airport blast

Police shoot Istanbul Ataturk airport attacker before he detonates himself (CCTV)

[OMGImInPattaya]

The number killed is reported up to 50 now. Like Egypt, this bombing, plus the series of earlier terrorist attacks in Istanbul, will just about finish off what's left of the tourism industry.

[Wilsonandson]

Katana great videos. They should have shot that terrorist in the head.

R.I.P to the victims. Death to Isis.

[Scott]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

There were always variations in the number of checkpoints and sometimes it was down to 1. Sometimes It was a complete search, the taxi was inspected, my luggage was inspected and both I and the taxi driver were checked. Sometimes it was less thorough, but it was there and a reasonably good deterrent at the time.

I wonder where the breakdown was or if ISIS has inside help.

[shirtless]

If governments cannot protect an airport from attack , how can they protect their citizens,

[webfact]

Istanbul Ataturk airport attack: At least 36 dead and dozens injured

ISTANBUL: -- A gun and bomb attack on Istanbul's Ataturk international airport has killed 36 people and injured about 90.

Three attackers opened fire near an entry point to the terminal and blew themselves up after police fired at them, officials say.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said early signs suggested the so-called Islamic State was behind the attack.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36658187


-- BBC 2016-06-29

[webfact]

Suspected IS suicide bombers kill dozens at Istanbul airport
ZEYNEP BILGINSOY, Associated Press
SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press
DOMINIQUE SOGUEL, Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — Three suspected Islamic State group suicide bombers targeted the international terminal of Istanbul's Ataturk airport Tuesday, killing at least 36 people and wounding many others, Turkish officials said.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said 36 were dead and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 147 were wounded. Another senior government official told The Associated Press the death toll could climb much higher.

The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol, at first said close to 50 people had already died, but later said that the figure was expected to rise to close to 50.

Yildirim said three suicide bombers were responsible for the attack and all initial indications suggest the Islamic State group was behind it.

He said the attackers arrived at the airport in a taxi and blew themselves up after opening fire. Asked whether a fourth attacker might have escaped, he said authorities have no such assessment but are considering every possibility.

The victims included some foreigners, he said, adding that many of the wounded have minor injuries but others are more badly hurt.

Another Turkish official said two of the attackers detonated explosives at the entrance of the international arrivals terminal after police fired at them, while the third blew himself up in the parking lot.

The official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol and cited interior ministry information, said none of the attackers managed to get past security checks at the terminal's entrance.

Turkish airports have security checks at both the entrance of terminal buildings and then later before entry to departure gates.

Roads around the airport were sealed off for regular traffic after the attack and several ambulances could be seen driving back and forth. Hundreds of passengers were flooding out of the airport and others were sitting on the grass.

Hevin Zini, 12, had just arrived from Duesseldorf, Germany, with her family and was in tears from the shock.

"There was blood on the ground," she told The Associated Press. "Everything was blown up to bits... if we had arrived two minutes earlier, it could have been us."

South African Judy Favish, who spent two days in Istanbul as a layover on her way home from Dublin, had just checked in when she heard an explosion followed by gunfire and a loud bang.

She says she hid under the counter for some time.

Favish says passengers were ushered to a cafeteria at the basement level where they were kept for more than an hour before being allowed outside.

Two South African tourists, Paul and Susie Roos from Cape Town, were at the airport and due to fly home at the time of the explosions.

"We came up from the arrivals to the departures, up the escalator when we heard these shots going off," Paul Roos said. "There was this guy going roaming around, he was dressed in black and he had a hand gun."

The private DHA news agency said the wounded, among them police officers, were being transferred to Bakirkoy State Hospital.

Turkey has suffered several bombings in recent months linked to Kurdish or Islamic State group militants.

The bombings include two in Istanbul targeting tourists that authorities have blamed on the Islamic State group.

The attacks have increased in scale and frequency, scaring off tourists and hurting the economy, which relies heavily on tourism revenues.

Istanbul's Ataturk airport was the 11th busiest airport in the world last year, with 61.8 million passengers, according to Airports Council International. It is also one of the fastest-growing airports in the world, seeing 9.2 percent more passengers last year than in 2014.

The largest carrier at the airport is Turkish Airlines, which operates a major hub there. Low-cost Turkish carrier Onur Air is the second-largest airline there.

___

http://interactives.ap.org/2016/turkey-airport-attack/


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-29

[MW72]

If governments cannot protect an airport from attack , how can they protect their citizens,

They can't and they never will. Not without a represive police state which I would hope none of us want.

[hansnl]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

Turkey is NOT in Europe.

[Thechook]

I think it is time to completely eradicate islam from the world. Stop pandering to islam and tip toeing around in the name of political correctness and fear. Take the gloves off and destroy this evil barbaric cult called islam once and for all. If you get a melanoma you don't say it's cute, you destroy it before it destroys you. Islam is a cancer who's aim is the total destruction of civilisation and the world.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Thechook

[Mickmouse1]

I was trying to buy a ticket to LHR via Istanbul but somehow my mind was thinking of the Turkish government many disagreements with few countries and org that gave me concerns over security. I eventually opted for a MAS direct flight ex KL.

[Caps]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

Turkey is NOT in Europe.

But the airport might be in Europe? Depends on which side of Istanbul it is

[SgtRock]

Terrible but hardly surprising.

All the SJW's that want a world without borders better start wising up.

[FinChin67]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

Turkey is NOT in Europe.

CNN & BBC thinks so

-- It's Europe's third busiest airport (2015)

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/28/europe/turkey-istanbul-airport-attacks/index.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36658187

Turkey won Eurovision in 2003, Istanbul was European Capital of Culture in 2010, and will be European Capital of Sports for 2012.

Are you part of "widespread Turcophobia" ?

[nottocus]

Terrible but hardly surprising.

All the SJW's that want a world without borders better start wising up.

Whats a SJW?

[FinChin67]

Terrible but hardly surprising.

All the SJW's that want a world without borders better start wising up.

Whats a SJW?

social justice warrior

This is What a Social Justice Warrior Looks Like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFrZsGbO6N0

"Social justice warrior" (commonly abbreviated SJW) is a pejorative term for an individual promoting socially progressive views; including feminism, civil rights, multiculturalism, [citation needed] political correctness, and identity politics.

Edited June 29, 2016 by FinChin67

[nottocus]

Terrible but hardly surprising.

All the SJW's that want a world without borders better start wising up.

Whats a SJW?

social justice warrior

This is What a Social Justice Warrior Looks Like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFrZsGbO6N0

"Social justice warrior" (commonly abbreviated SJW) is a pejorative term for an individual promoting socially progressive views; including feminism, civil rights, multiculturalism, [citation needed] political correctness, and identity politics.

Ok...thanks. Bloody liberals.

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

[White Christmas13]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

Turkey is NOT in Europe.

Istanbul is half in Europe

[webfact]

Dozens are killed and wounded in multiple suicide bomb attacks on Istanbul’s Ataturk airport



ISTANBUL: -- It’s feared as many as 50 people may have been killed and another 60 wounded in suicide and gun attacks on Istanbul airport.

UP to three suicide bombers opened fire before blowing themselves up in a deadly attack on Istanbul’s main Ataturk airport, a Turkish official has said.

Reports from Turkey suggest police shot dead two other attackers.

The explosions are said to have taken place at the main entrance to the international airport which is Europe’s third busiest.

Euronews correspondent Bora Bayraktar is on the scene.

One of the assailants is said to have opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle. Reports vary on the exact number of attackers.

A Turkish official says the explosives were detonated just before the security checkpoint in the international terminal.

HaberTurk reports the police fired shots in an effort to neutralise the situation.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-06-29

[MobileContent]

I think with the attack on Istanbul's airport this will not only ruin the tourism industry in Turkey but as well Turkish Airlines.

I have seen a documentary last week on the BBC that the tourism industry is going through chaotic times with occupance rates by just 20% in the Antalya region. The Russians and Germans left and it looks like the Brits are also not coming more in big numbers.

Greece and Spain are the ultimate winners this year. Turkey is much cheaper as GR and ES but security concerns is the biggest issue.

[gerry1011]

I was trying to buy a ticket to LHR via Istanbul but somehow my mind was thinking of the Turkish government many disagreements with few countries and org that gave me concerns over security. I eventually opted for a MAS direct flight ex KL.

I agree with you, with not using the services of companies such as Turkish Airlines or even Egyptair.

However, I don't think you are much safer on other airlines, or going through other airports, the Brussels Airport bombing being the proof.

And for Malaysia, not sure either... This was in the news lately too: "BARBARIC Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists could be planning deadly terror attacks on Westerners in and around the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, the Australian government has warned".

When traveling nowadays we can only hope that we don't get unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[mopar71]

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

Turkey is NOT in Europe.

Istanbul is half in Europe

The airport is 100% in Europe.

Edited June 29, 2016 by mopar71

[Naam]

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

Turkey is NOT in Europe.

Istanbul's main airport "Atatürk" is located in Europe!

[Galactus]

sad indeed:( patience for the families of the deceased.

fortunately, they could not go into the airport and blew themselves up at the gates. unlike Brussels. that prevented many deaths.

hope f ing ISIS will be terminated soon from this world!

This is terrible news. It is also surprising.

I haven't been to Istanbul for quite a few years, but that airport used to be extremely well guarded by the military. I once went through three check points for both me, my luggage and the vehicle before even reaching the actual airport.

Just watched a news report, the journalist who regular flies in/out from the airport claims only one checkpoint and not required to step out of your vehicle for personal checks and so on. It was claimed the airport is now the third busiest in Europe and 11th worldwide.

Turkey is NOT in Europe.

and we have guys like you. people are dead and for you not a problem as it happened in Istanbul which is not in Europe and it is muslim?

all yuo say is a stupid comment like where Istanbul is geographically? at least check an atlas before you post this you ignorant.

at least a RIP you insensitive ...k.

please post your bigot and racist comments somewhere else guys. at least show some respect to the deceased!

ISIS is at the borders of Turkey and it is turks who suffers the most unlike the belief like Turks support ISIS!

Edited June 29, 2016 by Galactus