‘Too close to home,’ is how most of my friends and colleagues in Istanbul described the attack at the city’s main airport. I feel the same. I fly in or out of Ataturk International airport a few times every month for work. I know its entrances and exits, the security barriers and shops, like the back of my hand. So when I saw the videos which emerged of the blast soon after, it’s like seeing the street I live on being blown up.
But I’ve been trying to work out why this attack feels more personal. Why it seems to have touched a nerve for me and so many other expats. After all, the bombs which killed 15 in the Sultanahmet tourist area and on the main drag, Istiklal, earlier this year are physically far closer to my home. Both caused fear but were soon shrugged off. The reaction to this attack is more pronounced.
For me it’s because the many other onslaughts have felt opportunistic.
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