Turkey holds security meeting after deadly terror attack in Istanbul

ANKARA

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Turkish top civilian and security officials came together Dec. 15 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to review measures against potential terror incidents following twin suicide attacks in Istanbul over the weekend.

It also followed Erdoğan’s statement that a national mobilization against terror should be launched. 

The meeting brought together Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief Hakan Fidan, as well as other top civilian and military officials. 

No statement was issued after the two-hour long meeting. 

The security meeting followed a deadly terror attack allegedly committed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that killed 44 and wounded dozens in twin attacks in the heart of Istanbul. 

Çavuşoğlu said, in televised remarks late Dec. 14, one of the suspected suicide bombers arrived in Turkey from Syria, hinting that the PKK’s Syrian offshoot, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) might also be behind the attack.  

After the attack, the Turkish military launched military action against the PKK inside and outside Turkey with warplanes pounding PKK positions in northern Iraq. 

Speaking on Dec. 14, Erdoğan called for a “national mobilization against all terrorist organizations.”

“As the leader of the Republic of Turkey, according to Article 104 of our constitution, I declare a national mobilization against the PKK, DEASH [an Arabic abbreviation of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], FETÖ [the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization], DHKP-C [the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front] and all other terrorist organizations, whatever their names, arguments or methods,” Erdoğan said.

“We cannot leave our security solely in the hands of the security forces. I am calling on all my citizens to help our security forces,” he added. 

“Whoever has information about the activities of these organizations should immediately inform our security forces,” the president said.