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At least 39 killed in attack on Istanbul nightclub
Depo Photos via AP
Turkish police struggled Sunday to track down a gunman who attacked New Year's Eve revelers at a popular Istanbul nightclub, killing at least 39 people, most of them foreigners. Close to 70 more were wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for what authorities immediately called a terrorist attack. Turkish officials, under a media blackout, did not comment on the possible identity or motives of the gunman.
Gov. Vasip Sahin said the attacker, armed with a long-barreled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside the club at around 1:15 a.m. Sunday before entering and firing on people partying inside.
"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.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the gunman was still on the run, adding: "efforts to find the terrorist are continuing."
"Our security forces have started the necessary operations," the minister said. "God willing he will be caught in a short period of time."
Police with riot gear and machine guns backed up by armored vehicles blocked the area close to the Reina nightclub, one of the most popular night spots in Istanbul. Several ambulances flashing blue lights arrived on the scene, some taking wounded to hospitals.
An estimated 600 people were celebrating inside the club that is also frequented by famous locals, including singers, actors and sports stars. A handful of WNBA players, including Essence Carson, Chelsea Gray and Jantel Lavender of the Los Angeles Sparks, were next door to the club when the shooting erupted.
Some clubgoers reportedly jumped into the waters of the Bosporus to escape the attack.
'A truly inhuman savagery'
Depo Photos via AP
Nearly two-thirds of the people killed were foreigners, many from the Middle East, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency said. It said the bodies of 25 foreign nationals killed in the attack would be delivered to their families Monday.
Countries from India to Belgium reported their citizens among the casualties.
A US State Department official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said one American man was among those wounded. Turkey's minister for family and social policies, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, said citizens of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon and Libya were among those injured.
Five of the victims were identified as Turkish nationals, and three or four of the Turkish victims may have been employees at the nightclub.
A 22-year-old police officer, Burak Yildiz, was shot and killed outside the nightclub. He had been on the force for just over one year.
Private Dogan news agency reports that 47-year-old travel agent Ayhan Arik, a father of two, was another of the first victims of the early morning attack. The news agency says the gunman shot Arik in the head outside the club.
CCTV footage released by police appears to show the attacker, who is believed to have carried out the assault alone, shooting his way into the nightclub.
At least 69 people were being treated in hospitals, four in serious condition. Lebanon's Foreign Ministry says three Lebanese citizens were wounded in the shooting, including the daughter of a member of parliament.
"This was a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery," Soylu said.
Conflicting reports of a Santa Claus outfit
Depo Photos via APPrivate 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.
Security camera footage obtained by The Associated Press 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.
Footage taken by a different camera shows him inside the venue wearing different clothes and a Santa Claus hat.
However, Turkey's prime minister denied that the gunman wore a Santa Claus outfit.
"There is no truth to this. He is an armed terrorist as we know it," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters.
Reina owner Mehmet Kocarslan, interviewed by the private Dogan news agency, said police had boosted security measures in the upscale neighborhood of Ortakoy and its vicinity.
The measures included tents at key locations with a 24-hour police presence and complementary efforts by the coast guard at sea.
"Despite all these precautions by police forces, unfortunately this painful event took place. We don't know what to say," he added. "We are at the point where all words end."
'I had to lift several bodies from top of me'
Sinem Uyanik was inside the club with her husband who was wounded in the attack.
"Before I could understand what was happening, my husband fell on top me," she said outside Istanbul's Sisli Etfal Hospital.
"I had to lift several bodies from top of me before I could get out. It was frightening." Her husband was not in serious condition despite sustaining three wounds.
Several shocked revelers were seen fleeing the scene after the attack and the music fell silent.
International leaders condemn attack
Depo Photos via AP
The White House condemned what it called a "horrific terrorist attack" and offered US help to Turkey.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack by his national security team and asked to be updated as the situation developed. Obama is vacationing in Hawaii this week with his family.
The US Consulate General in Istanbul on Sunday warned American citizens to keep their movements in the city "to an absolute minimum." A statement reminded US citizens that extremists "are continuing aggressive efforts to conduct attacks in areas where US citizens and expatriates reside or frequent."
The United States also denied reports in Turkish new outlets and on social media that its security agencies knew in advance that the nightclub was at risk of a terror attack. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara said in a statement that "contrary to rumors circulating in social media, the U.S. Government had no information about threats to specific entertainment venues, including the Reina Club."
National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the attack on "innocent revelers" celebrating New Year's shows the attackers' savagery.
"Our thoughts are with victims and their loved ones. We continue to work to prevent these tragedies," European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini tweeted.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter: "Tragic start to 2017 in Istanbul. My thoughts are with those affected by the attack on people celebrating New Year and with the Turkish people."
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to Turkey's leader, saying that "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.
Turkey's violent 2016
Depo Photos via AP
Turkey has been rocked by a series of deadly attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants, killing more than 180 people. More than 400 people have been killed in major terror attacks throughout Turkey since 2015, and the Islamic State group claims to have cells in the country.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag vowed that Turkey would press ahead with its fight against violent groups.
"Turkey will continue its determined and effective combat to root out terror," Bozdag said on Twitter.
A media blackout was issued by the Turkish Prime Minister's office, a common response by the government in the wake of terror attacks in the country. The office asked the press to refrain from 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 camouflaged as Santa Claus and others as street vendors, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.
Complicating matters, Turkey endured a coup attempt July 15, which the government blamed on a US-based Islamist cleric. A state of emergency has been in force since then, and authorities have purged key institutions, including the army and police.
The violence has left the nation on edge and kept tourists at bay.
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