2016 Bombing Delineates Separation from the East
A suicide bombing occurred on İstiklal Avenue in March 2016, highlighting the divide between Turkey and the cultures to its east. Twelve foreign nationals, including German, Iranian, Icelandic, Irish, Emirati, and Israeli nationals were among the wounded (Dearden). In the moment that this bomb exploded, such a diverse array of people stood in close proximity to each other – a morbid snapshot of the cosmopolitan nature of Istiklal to this day. The Turkish Government reported that the Islamic State was responsible for the attack, and President Erdogan responded: “terror groups are targeting civilians because they are losing their struggle against Turkish security forces” (BBC 2016).
In this incident, a conflict between the Islamic State, which we perceive to be an eastern entity, and Turkey, Istanbul seems to fulfil the dichotomy as the western entity. For all its centuries of trying to align itself with and catch up to the western world, Istanbul has been thoroughly recognised for its western heritage in this devastating event. The choice of this site, commonly known as a tourist destination, with its historic western identity still visible in the architecture of the surrounding buildings, seems to send a message of the east rejecting Istanbul.