土耳其攻击日益增长的恐怖主义问题

AS IT IS 2016-06-30 Turkey Attack Points to Growing Problem of Terrorism 土耳其攻击日益增长的恐怖主义问题

The suicide attack in Istanbul that killed at least 41 people is the latest in a series of deadly terrorism strikes to hit Turkey.

Tuesday’s attack at Ataturk International Airport also wounded more than 200 people. Istanbul’s governor said at least 10 of those killed were foreigners.

Three suicide bombers¹ entered the airport’s international arrival area and began shooting people before setting off explosives.

Officials announced Wednesday that the airport had fully² reopened. Turkish Airlines said it restarted all operations and flights resumed between the United States and Istanbul.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. But, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said early evidence suggested that it was the Islamic State group.

He called the attack “cowardly” and promised to keep up Turkey’s fight against extremism. “Unity will be the best answer to terrorists,” he said.

The Islamic State group was blamed for two suicide bombings in Istanbul earlier this year that targeted foreign tourists. Many people have been killed in Ankara and Istanbul in bombings carried out by both Islamic State and Kurdish rebels.

The Kurdish rebel group PKK has been known to carry out suicide bombings. However, it usually targets government security forces. This month the group attacked a police bus, killing³ 11 people.

The recent attacks underscore the sharp increase in recent terrorist bombings in Turkey that have killed hundreds. Some of the attacks have been blamed on the PKK, while others have been attributed to Islamic State.

Terrorism experts say Islamic State is believed to have many fighters who are Turkish nationals. They also suggested that recent Islamic State defeats in Iraq may have led to Tuesday’s airport attack.

The Institute for the Study of War predicted an increase in Islamic State attacks in Turkey during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which ends July 5. The institute said Islamic State appears to be using Turkey to help develop a larger plan in the area.

“ISIS will likely select targets in neighboring states that relieve pressure from the group in Syria while setting conditions for future expansion in those states,” the organization wrote. “Targets that serve this dual⁴ purpose include foreign tourists, state security forces, and U.S. military elements in Turkey and Jordan.”

Syria conflict

Another regional issue affecting terrorism in Turkey is Syria’s civil war. Armed groups roam along both sides of the 804-kilometer Turkey-Syria border. Turkey has been accused of permitting foreign fighters to cross the border to join groups like the Islamic State.

The civil war has also led to an estimated 2.5 million Syrians now living in Turkey. This has strained government resources and caused anger among the Turkish population.

Turkey was once seen as a bastion of stability in the area, with a strong economy and tourist industry. But last year, tourist arrivals fell by one-third.

The increase in terror has led to increasing uncertainty⁵ about Turkey’s economic future and its national security.

Words in This Story

cowardly – adj. afraid in a way that makes you unable to do what is right or expected; lacking courage

underscore – v. to emphasize or show the importance of

attribute – v. considered to be caused by something

roam – v. move about or travel over a wide area

bastion – n. a place or system in which something continues to survive

stability – n. the ?quality or state of something that is not easily changed? or likely to change

1 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

5 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。