Israel tells its citizens to leave Turkey 'as soon as possible'

The Israeli government has issued a notice to its citizens in Turkey to leave the country "as soon as possible," citing an increased threat of terror attacks in the wake of a string of bombings in the country's major towns.


Increasing the threat level from two — a low-level concrete threat — to three — a high-level concrete threat — the government also advised Israelis not to visit Turkey.

• The warning emphasized the threat from the Islamic State to tourist targets throughout Turkey, especially Israeli tourists.

On March 19, three Israelis and an Iranian were killed when a suicide bombing ripped through a famous shopping street in central Istanbul on Saturday, killing four people.

A DNA test on remains found at the scene of the blast showed that the suicide bomber was a known Islamic State sympathizer.

A total of eleven Israelis were injured in the attack, the Israeli foreign ministry said, with two reported to be in serious condition, two in moderate condition, and six with minor injuries.

On March 13, a suicide bombing in Ankara killed 35, claimed by a branch of outlawed Kurdish separatist group the PKK, against whom Turkey is waging an all-out assault following dozens of attacks against Turkish security forces in the southeast.

On February 17, 28 people were killed and 61 people were wounded in a car bombing targeting military service vehicles in the Turkish capital Ankara, also blamed on the PKK.

The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although now more for greater autonomy and rights for the country's largest ethnic minority.

The conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead, looked like it could be nearing a resolution until an uneasy truce was shattered in July.

Meanwhile, Turkey is also battling the Islamic State group's increased presence in the country. The terrorist organization is behind three of the five suicide bombings to have been carried out in Turkey since July 2015.
 [i24news.tv]
28/3/16