Wednesday, March 26, 2014

"Accusations that Erdogan continues to aid al Qaeda, refuse to go away"

"... there is growing concern among ordinary Turks — especially after the Nigde attack — of an embroilment with ISIS and other al-Qaeda affiliates. Memories of the deadly truck bomb attacks in Istanbul in November 2003 by an al-Qaeda cell that left 57 dead and 700 wounded still linger.Turks have also not forgotten the twin car bombing in Reyhanli, a town in Hatay province, in May 2013 that left at least 51 dead and 140 injured. Pro-Assad elements in Turkey were accused and charged over that incident, but many Turks saw the attack as the result of the Erdogan government’s Syria policy, which in hindsight is considered largely to have been based on a series of gross miscalculations.
Turks are also not happy over claims that Ankara is continuing to provide logistical support and weapons to jihadist groups — such as Jabhat al-Nusra — which have also claimed allegiance to al-Qaeda. The claim is that Turkey is supporting these groups on the grounds that they are effective against Syrian regime forces.
Ankara denies that it is proving such help, but the accusation has refused to go away..."

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