Turkey has a long history of dealing with terror and has accumulated a wealth of experience coping with its complexities. But the June 28 attack against Istanbul Ataturk Airport that killed 45 people signaled that Turkey is now facing a new type of assault.
These attacks come from extremist Salafi ideology groups with a loose network of links to the Islamic State (IS). They aim to take hostages and use armed assaults and suicide bombings to target areas where foreigners congregate, such as airports, hotels and shopping and tourism centers. Such attacks have taken place before in Mumbai, India; Nairobi, Kenya; Jakarta, Indonesia; and most recently Dacca, Bangladesh.