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Turkey blames ISIS for suicide bombing

July 20, 2015

A recent terrorist attack in Suruc, Turkey killing 32 activists could possibly be linked to ISIS. Henri Barkey, director of the Middle East Program, says that the group has two motivations in organizing the suicide bombing. First, is targeting the Kurds, becase "if there is one group in the Middle East that has managed to bloody ISIS seriously, it has been the Syrian Kurds. Therefore, ISIS has an incentive in hurting the Kurds wherever they are, whether it is in Turkey or in Syria." The second motivation, coming after a crackdown against ISIS, is to show that the Turkish government "is incapable of protecting its own citizens."  

According to Barkey, Turkey has a very difficult decision to make in dealing with ISIS.

Guest

Henri J. Barkey

Henri J. Barkey

Former Director, Middle East Program
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Middle East Program

The Wilson Center’s Middle East Program serves as a crucial resource for the policymaking community and beyond, providing analyses and research that helps inform US foreign policymaking, stimulates public debate, and expands knowledge about issues in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.  Read more