Our hearts go out to the people in Istambul and the victims of the attack today at the Ataturk Airport. The latest release from the New York Times reports at least 28 dead and 60 injured.
Prime Minister Erdogan has worked recently to mend fences with his neighbors and other Mideast powers. Today he took the rare step in apologizing to Russia for the downing of one of their fighters last year.
He has also worked to mend relations with erstwhile staunch ally Israel after a 2010 episode where 9 Turkish volunteers where killed by Israeli forces as they attempted to break a blockade to Gaza.
Erdogan has continued his efforts to reign in the Kurds, both politically at home and with violence, just across the border in Syria. All while, ostensibly, aiding in the battle against ISIS .
Whether the, still unclaimed, attack today is the result of Kurdish or Daesh forces, it seems clear that Erdogan has continued to stumble in a very volatile foreign policy setting. His brash and bombastic leadership have contributed to further threatening one of Turkey’s most valuable economic assets, the Tourism industry.