Istanbul among world’s safest metropolis except for terror threat: Governor

ISTANBUL

AFP photo

Istanbul is one of the safest metropolises in the world – apart from the terror threat originating from Middle East – Istanbul Gov. Vasip Şahin said Feb. 1, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

“In terms of metropolitan security, Istanbul is one of the world’s safest metropolises except for the terror threat originating from our region. Our security forces are successful in preventing public security incidents. Public security incidents are not so high in Istanbul, in which 15 million people live. Of course, one would wish that no incident would occur and that no murders would be committed. However, when you look at such big metropolises, Istanbul is actually very safe,” Şahin said, commenting on the latest state of security and terror attacks in the city.

Şahin also said security works had been conducted in a very serious manner across the city to provide security and peace.

In addition, the governor also praised the capture of Abdulkadir Masharipov, who killed 39 people in an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attack on the famous Reina nightclub on Jan. 1, describing it as “a significant success.”

Adding to the Reina attack in the first hours of the new year, Turkey’s biggest city experienced deadly terror attacks over the past year with some claimed by the jihadist group and some by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Apart from the Reina attack, the last major terror attack to rock the city was on Dec. 10, 2016, when 46 people, mostly police officers, were killed in twin bombings that struck outside Beşiktaş football club’s stadium.
The attack was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), an offshoot of the PKK.