
People lay flowers at a makeshift memorial at the site of a suicide
attack in Istanbul, March 20, 2016. The attack a day earlier killed four
people and injured 39.
Photo: Yasin Akgul/AFP/Getty Images
The United States warned U.S. citizens in Turkey on Tuesday about "credible" terrorist threats to tourist areas in the country.
Turkey has been hit by four suicide bombings already this
year, most recently in Istanbul last month. Two of the bombings have
been blamed on Islamic State, while Kurdish militants have claimed
responsibility for the other two.
"The U.S. government continues to receive credible
indications that terrorist groups are seeking opportunities to attack
popular tourist destinations throughout Turkey," the embassy in Ankara
said in a statement emailed to U.S. citizens.
"Foreign tourists in Turkey have been explicitly targeted by
terrorist organizations," the U.S. embassy said in what it described as
an "emergency message."
Last month's attack in Istanbul's main shopping district
killed three Israelis, two of whom held dual citizenship with the United
States, and one Iranian. A separate attack in the city's historic heart
in January killed 12 German tourists.
Turkey is facing multiple security threats. As part of a
U.S.-led coalition, it is fighting Islamic State in neighboring Syria
and Iraq. It is also battling Kurdish militants in its southeast, where a
2-1/2-year ceasefire collapsed last July, triggering the worst violence
since the 1990s.
Post a Comment