Istanbul nightclub killer Abdulkadir Masharipov is arrested

[Anthea]

Istanbul nightclub attack 'leaves 35 dead'

At least 35 people have lost their lives in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, the city's governor has said.

Among the dead is one police officer, Vasip Sahin stated, adding that it was a terror attack.

At least another 40 were injured in the attack which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 01:30 local time (23:30 GMT).

One attacker was involved, the governor said, while CNN Turk reported he was dressed in a Santa Claus costume.

There were reportedly several hundred people in the nightclub at the time, some of whom are believed to have jumped into the Bosphorus to escape.

Istanbul had been on high alert with some 17,000 police officers on duty in the city, following a string of terror attacks in recent months.

Many were carried out by so-called Islamic State (ISis) or Kurdish rebels.

Less than a fortnight ago, the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was shot dead by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas as he gave a speech in the capital Ankara in December.

After the shooting, the killer shouted the murder was in revenge for Russian involvement in the conflict in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Link to Article - Video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38481521

[Anthea]

Man wearing black no sign of Santa

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[Anthea]

Manhunt in Turkey after New Year's nightclub shooting



A manhunt is on in Turkey for an assailant in a Santa Claus hat who unleashed a salvo of bullets in a crowded Istanbul nightclub during New Year's celebrations Sunday, killing at least 39 people.

Foreigners were among the fatalities, including an 18-year-old Israeli woman and a Belgian national, according to the two countries' respective foreign ministries. Close to 70 others were injured in what authorities described as a terror attack.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vehemently condemned "the terror attack in Istanbul's Ortakoy neighborhood in the first hours of 2017" and offered condolences for those who lost their lives, including "foreign guests."

The attacker, armed with a long-barreled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside Istanbul's popular Reina club at around 1:15 a.m. before entering and firing on people partying inside, Gov. Vasip Sahin said.

"Unfortunately (he) rained bullets in a very cruel and merciless way on innocent people who were there to celebrate New Year's and have fun," Sahin told reporters.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack and authorities did not name any suspects. The bloodiest attacks that Turkey endured in 2016 were the work of the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants.

Turkey is a member of NATO and a partner in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group. The country is also facing renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels in the southeast, and across the border in Syria and Iraq.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the attacker has not been identified and is still at large. "Our security forces have started the necessary operations. God willing he will be caught in a short period of time," he said.

Private NTV news channel said the assailant entered the upscale nightclub, on the shores of the Bosporus, on the European side of the city, dressed in a Santa Claus outfit. The minister said the lone attacker was believed to have left the club wearing different clothing.

Security camera footage obtained by AP from Haberturk newspaper, shows the male assailant dressed in black and carrying a backpack as he shoots down a police officer outside the Reina nightclub.

This is where it becomes confusing

Footage taken by a different camera shows him inside the venue wearing different clothes and a Santa Claus hat.

Did the killer first spotted shooting the policeman outside the club have a friend already inside? We cannot believe that a gunman would stop shooting to change clothes

Turkey's Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya said citizens of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon, Libya were among those hurt in the attack. Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said three Lebanese citizens were wounded.

At least 15 of the dead were foreign nationals, according to Turkey's interior minister. Five of the victims were identified as Turkish nationals while authorities were still trying to identify the rest.

At least 69 people were being treated in hospitals, four in serious condition, Soylu said, describing the attack as a "massacre, a truly inhumane savagery." He said three or four of the Turkish victims may have been employees at the nightclub,

Some customers reportedly jumped into the waters of the Bosporus to escape the attack.

Mehmet Dag, 22, was passing by the club and saw the suspect shoot at a police officer and a bystander. He said the suspect then targeted security, gunning them down and entering the club. "Once he went in, we don't know what happened. There were gun sounds, and after two minutes the sound of an explosion."

The nightclub area remained sealed off on Sunday morning.

Heavily armed police blocked the snowy street in front of the nightclub where the entrance was covered with blue plastic sheeting below a Turkish flag. Police patrolled the Asian side of the Bosporus on the other side of the club.

Crime scene investigators were seen inside the club searching through piles of mingled chairs, tables and pieces of clothing left behind during the panic among the guests.

And there were emotional scenes in front of a city morgue where those shot dead were brought for identification. Some relatives cried out and fell to the ground as they apparently learned the fate of their loved ones.

Major attacks carried out by IS or Kurdish militants killed more than 180 people in Istanbul and Ankara alone in 2016.

On Dec. 10, a double bomb attack outside a soccer stadium near the Reina nightclub killed 45 people and wounded some 150 others. The attack was claimed by Turkey-based Kurdish militant group, the Kurdish Freedom Falcons.

"Turkey continues its combat against terror and is absolutely determined to do whatever is necessary in the region to ensure its citizens safety and peace," said President Erdogan in a written statement Sunday.

The nightclub attack drew quick condemnation from the West and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his Turkish counterpart a a telegram of condolences, saying "it is hard to imagine a more cynical crime than killing innocent people during New Year celebrations."

"However, terrorists don't share moral values. Our common duty is to combat terrorists' aggression," Putin said.

The White House condemned what it called a "horrific terrorist attack" and offered U.S. help to Turkey.

An estimated 600 people were celebrating inside the club that is often frequented by famous locals, including singers, actors and sports stars. Several shocked revelers were seen fleeing the scene after the attack and the music fell silent.

The prime minister's office issued a media blackout on the events and asked media to refrain from broadcasting and publishing anything that may cause "fear in the public, panic and disorder and which may serve the aims of terrorist organizations."

Security measures had been heightened in major Turkish cities, with police barring traffic leading up to key squares in Istanbul and the capital Ankara. In Istanbul, 17,000 police officers were put on duty, some disguised as Santa Claus and others as street vendors, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.

Link to full CONFUSING Article - photos - Videos:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/art ... acker.html

[Anthea]

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Istanbul nightclub attack: At least 39 dead after gunman 'dressed as Santa' opens fire at New Year's party
At least one attacker kills police officer before storming into Reina nightclub,Dozens of people have been killed as they celebrated New Year at a Turkish nightclub in a suspected terror attack.

Officials said at least one gunman reportedly wearing a Santa costume murdered a police officer and a civilian outside Istanbul’s famed Reina nightclub before bursting inside.

The attacker opened fire into the crowd of up to 700 people, killing at least 39 – including 15 foreigners – and injuring dozens more in the Ortakoy district.

Interior minister Suleyman Soylu said the attacker was still at large and 69 people were being treated in hospital following the shooting.

"Efforts to find the terrorist are continuing," he said. "Our security forces have started the necessary operations. God willing he will be caught in a short period of time."Local reports said some people jumped into the waters of the Bosphorus strait to escape the massacre, which started shortly before 1.30am local time (11.30pm GMT).

CCTV footage from inside the club was broadcast by Turkish media, appearing to show a gunman dressed as Father Christmas walking through abandoned drinks booths.Witnesses said the man was wearing a Santa costume and speaking Arabic, suggesting he was not Turkish.

One survivor said she had to climb out from beneath bodies inside the nightclub to flee the attack, where her husband was injured.

“Before I could understand what was happening, my husband fell on top me,” Sinem Uyanik told the Associated Press outside Istanbul's Sisli Hospital. “I had to lift several bodies from on top of me before I could get out.”

Vasip Sahin, the governor of Istanbul, described the event as a “terror attack” but did not name who he thought responsible.

“The attacker - in the most brutal and merciless way - targeted innocent people who had only come here to celebrate the New Year and have fun,” Mr Sahin said.Amid the manhunt, armed police blocked off the area as the roads were lined with dozens of ambulances and clubbers wearing suits and cocktail dresses poured into the street.

The Turkish government imposed a temporary media blackout on local coverage of the attack, banning the publication or broadcast of anything that could cause “fear in the public, panic and disorder and which may serve the aims of terrorist organisations”.

As with those imposed after previous attacks, the order covered the “moment of attack; aftermath of the attack and site of crime; public servants conducting their jobs; injured and dead, exaggerated analysis and anything related to the people suspected of involvement with the attack, their methods of transport and whereabouts”.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was reportedly being updated on the investigation, while his justice minister Bekir Bozdağ vowed that “no terror attack will destroy our unity”.

Barack Obama was among the world leaders offering assistance to Turkey following the attack – one of a string of recent massacres by Isis and Kurdish extremist groups.

“The President expressed condolences for the innocent lives lost, directed his team to offer appropriate assistance to the Turkish authorities, as necessary, and keep him updated as warranted,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Federica Mogherini, the EU representative for foreign affairs, also expressed their condolences.

“2017 starts with an attack in Istanbul,” Ms Mogherini wrote on Twitter. “Our thoughts are with victims and their loved ones. We continue to work to prevent these tragedies.”

Germany’s foreign ministry said it was “distraught and mourn with the people of Istanbul”.

The attack sparked warnings for British tourists and residents in the Turkish city.

Travel advice issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office urged people to “remain vigilant” as it worked to find out whether any British citizens were affected.

"We are in touch with the local authorities following reports of an incident at a night club in Istanbul,” a spokesperson said.

Security in Turkish cities had been heightened for New Year’s Eve, with 17,000 police officers, including some camouflaged as Santa Claus, on duty

[Anthea]

Karayılan: No Kurdish force is involved in the Istanbul attack

Speaking to Dengê Kurdistan Radio, PKK Executive Council Member Murat Karayılan spoke about last night's attack on a popular nightclub in Istanbul, which left 39 people dead, mostly foreigners.

Karayılan underlined that no Kurdish force is involved in this attack, saying: "I am of the opinion that TAK would not carry out such an attack either. Ours is a rightful cause and all Kurdish and Kurdistani forces want to have the people of Turkey by their side. Kurdish freedom struggle is at the same time a fight for Turkey's democratization. To this end, we and no other Kurdish force would never target innocent civilians as we are fighting against Turkish colonialism."

Murat Karayılan made the following evaluations regarding the Istanbul attack:

"It seems that deep powers are involved in this attack. Why? Because Turkey is in a tough spot today, left alone and isolated from the world. Turkey has supported the ISIS and Al-Nusra in order to suppress the Kurdish freedom struggle and crush the Kurdish people. It later got engaged in the Syrian issue, developed different relations and grew away from NATO. It has now thrown itself into the arms of Russia but it knows that this will not yield any result either. Turkey resorts to such an organised incident in order to overcome this tough process and to say 'Look, ISIS is attacking us'. These people are cruel and they shed the blood of the people for the sake of their own ruling and interests.

[Piling]

In spite of Turkish accusations, it seems impossible that Kurds did that, even TAK.

[Anthea]

Turkey is 'fighting two fights'

Metin Gurcan, an Istanbul based security analyst, told the BBC that it is proving difficult for Turkey to deal with fighting the two fights it is currently engaged in.

He says: "First one is the fight against PKK, the secular leftist Kurdish anti-nationalist armed group, now a state actor.

"And the second fight is the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS).

"How can you allocate resources and capacity?

"This is, I think, the grave question the decision makers right now in Turkey have been asking.

"Which one of these should be prioritised, the fight against the PKK or the fight against ISIS?"

Because the people who died were mainly civilians, the finger of blame for this attack is being pointed at ISIS. But the motive for the attack is not yet clear and the gunman has not been apprehended.

"Which one of these should be prioritised, the fight against the PKK or the fight against ISIS?"

Simple solutions:

1) remove Turkish troops from North Kurdistan

2) give Kurds their independence

That way Turkey will be able to concentrate on killing ISIS instead of killing Kurds

3) use Turkish troops to destroy ISIS

[Anthea]

Istanbul: ISIS claims responsibility for Reina attack

Group says it carried out New Year's Eve raid on Istanbul nightclub where "Christians celebrate their apostate holiday".

ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack on a nightclub in Istanbul that killed 39 people on New Year's Eve.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group released on Monday a statement claiming responsibility for the raid.

"In continuation of the blessed operations that Islamic State is conducting against the protector of the cross, Turkey, a heroic soldier of the caliphate struck one of the most famous nightclubs where the Christians celebrate their apostate holiday," the statement said.

The announcement came as a manhunt was under way in Turkey for at least one assailant who attacked those celebrating New Year at the Reina nightclub.

The Reina lies on the shore of the Bosphorus Strait and is one of Istanbul's best-known nightclubs, popular with locals and tourists alike. During the attack, some partygoers who managed to flee jumped into the freezing cold Bosphorus strait to escape harm.

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Istanbul, said: "The ISIL statement doesn't say whether the attacker was trained by ISIL or simply pledged allegiance to the group and carried out the attack alone.

"There had been concensus emerging behind the scenes, and reports in Turkish media, indicating officialS believed ISIL was behind the attack."

He added that the mood in the busy Turkish city was "sombre and sad".

Turkey is currently in a state of emergency.

"People are very scared. This is the fourth attack to hit Turkey in less than a month ... There is a sense here in Istanbul of astonishment as to how this could have happened at a time when there were tens of thousands of officers on the streets to prevent an attack on New Year's Eve."

As well as the 39 dead, about 70 others were wounded and three of those people remain in critical condition, Binali Yildirim, Turkey's prime minister, said on Sunday.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu described the attack as a "massacre, a truly inhumane savagery".

Foreigners including many nationals of Arab countries were among the dead, officials said.

Eleven of the dead were Turkish nationals and one was a Turkish-Belgium dual-national, they said.

Seven victims were from Saudi Arabia and had travelled to Istanbul for New Year's Eve celebrations.

Three of the dead were from Lebanon and Iraq each.

Two nationals from Tunisia, India, Morocco and Jordan were killed, and Kuwait, Canada, Israel, Syria and Russia lost one citizen in the attack.

One victim remains unidentified.

Security measures had been heightened in major Turkish cities, with police barring traffic leading up to key squares in Istanbul and Ankara.

In Istanbul, 17,000 police officers were put on duty, some disguised as Santa Claus and others as street vendors, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.

Turkey, part of the US-led coalition against ISIL, faces multiple security threats including fallout from the war in neighbouring Syria.

It has seen repeated attacks and bombings blamed on ISIL as well as fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in recent months.

Link to Article - Photos - Videos:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/i ... 08171.html

[Anthea]

Turkey nightclub attack: Manhunt for gunman intensifies

Turkish police have launched raids in Istanbul and arrested 12 people, as the hunt for an attacker who killed 39 people in a nightclub intensifies.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said authorities had fingerprints and a basic description, and vowed to "speedily" identify the suspect.

Some 600 revellers were in the Reina nightclub early on Sunday when the gunman attacked.

So-called Islamic State said it was behind the attack.

FACE OF THE KILLER


Mr Kurtulmus told reporters: "Information about the fingerprints and basic appearance of the terrorist have been found.

"The next step will be to try to identify him as quickly as we can. We hope we will not only find the terrorist but also his connections and those people who gave him support inside and outside the club," he said.

Link to Full Article - Photos Videos:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38492676

[Anthea]

Turkey 'identifies Istanbul nightclub attacker'

The attacker who killed 39 people in a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Eve has been identified, the Turkish foreign minister has said.

Mevlut Cavusoglu did not name the suspect, who remains at large, in a televised interview with Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu on Wednesday.

Investigators have previously released photos of the alleged gunman, and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday that the authorities have records of his fingerprints.

Turkish police conducted a series of raids in the Aegean port city of Izmir overnight on Tuesday, arresting five men thought to have links to terror group Isis, but did not catch the perpetrator of the seven-minute long massacre in Istanbul's Reina nightclub.

The gunman is thought to have been living in Izmir with his wife and children for three weeks before going to Istanbul to carry out the shooting. It is believed he was previously based in Konya, in the centre of the country.

At least twenty people have been detained in connection to the incident so far, including two people of foreign nationality who were arrested at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on Tuesday.

Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack, which wounded 70 more people, several of whom are still in a critical condition. CCTV footage showed a man killing a police officer and security guard before entering the nightclub. After people dropped to the floor when the first shots were fired, he shot at those lying down before changing his clothes and leaving the scene.

Most of those killed were foreigners from Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel and Syria

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 08481.html

[Anthea]

Pro-Erdogan Turkish Newspaper: ‘Killer U.S.’ Behind Istanbul Nightclub Attack

An opinion column in Yeni Şafak, a pro-Erdogan Turkish newspaper, accuses the United States of “leading” the Islamic State, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the alleged terrorist group run by Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.

The “killer U.S.,” writes columnist Tamer Korkmaz, orchestrated the massacre in Istanbul’s Reina nightclub over the weekend, as well as multiple terrorist bombings and the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov in December.

“The U.S., which most recently shed the blood of innocent people in Ortaköy [the Istanbul neighborhood where Reina is located] through its tool, the Daesh terror organization, has also tried to tarnish the independent Turkey’s Islamic identity through its ‘counterterror’ attack showing a ‘fake flag,'” Korkmaz writes, apparently accusing the United States of orchestrating terror attacks to later use the attacks to exert itself militarily.

“The attacker in Ortaköy is the American State of Terror,” he states definitively. Of the unnamed assailant, identified as a Kyrgyz national who entered Turkey with his family through Syria, Korkmaz writes, “the deep address behind the murderer is the U.S./CIA.”

While blaming the United States for running the “terrorist consortium” of the PKK, the Islamic State, and the Gulen group (a coalition of charter schools the cleric calls “Hizmet” but Ankara refers to as FETO), Korkmaz does not explain why the PKK has vowed to destroy the Islamic State and vice versa, or why the United States has labeled both a terrorist group.

[Piling]

Another terrorist attack in Izmir. AKP newspapers will probably accuse PKK again… or USA

[Anthea]

Another terrorist attack in Izmir. AKP newspapers will probably accuse PKK again… or USA

There is no end to the fighting

But Turkey knows exactly who is to blame

The pro-government Yeni Akit Daily took to Twitter to portray Mr Obama as the lone gunman responsible for the bloody attack, which left 39 dead.

The controversial image showed an actual photo of Mr Obama next to a picture of the suspect, whose face had been altered to that of the outgoing US president.

The picture, which was tweeted to the paper's 108,000 followers, was captioned: “Clearest photo of the murderer,” alongside a newspaper story saying: “Social media users say the US is behind the armed attack on Reina in Istanbul’s Ortakoy neighbourhood.



Link to full Article:

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/750 ... -Yeni-Akit

[Londoner]

Waiting for USA leaving Incirlik air base. Turkey asked USA for air support at Al-bab in Syria. After that USA fighter planes appeared on Al-bab very often but didn't drop one bomb or firing a shot. Now Turkey threatens to close Incirlik air base.

[Anthea]

Waiting for USA leaving Incirlik air base. Turkey asked USA for air support at Al-bab in Syria. After that USA fighter planes appeared on Al-bab very often but didn't drop one bomb or firing a shot. Now Turkey threatens to close Incirlik air base.

I am starting to get the feeling that Erdogan does not like Obama