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Istanbul nightclub shooting

Coordinates: 41°03′00″N 29°01′57″E / 41.05000°N 29.03250°E / 41.05000; 29.03250
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Istanbul nightclub shooting
Part of the Turkey–ISIL conflict
The Reina nightclub in Istanbul in 2012
Reina nightclub is located in Istanbul
Reina nightclub
Reina nightclub
Reina nightclub (Istanbul)
Reina nightclub is located in Turkey
Reina nightclub
Reina nightclub
Reina nightclub (Turkey)
LocationTurkey Istanbul, Turkey
Coordinates41°03′00″N 29°01′57″E / 41.05000°N 29.03250°E / 41.05000; 29.03250
Date1 January 2017; 7 years ago (2017-01-01)
01:15 (FET)
TargetPatrons at Reina nightclub
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder
WeaponsAKM
Deaths39
Injured79[1]
Perpetrators Islamic State
AssailantAbdulkadir Masharipov

The Istanbul nightclub shooting (also known as Reina massacre in Turkey[2]) was a mass shooting incident on 1 January 2017 around 01:15 local time, in which a terrorist shot and killed 39 people and wounded 79 others at the Reina nightclub in the Ortaköy neighbourhood of Istanbul, Turkey, where hundreds had been celebrating New Year's Day. Uzbekistan-born Abdulkadir Masharipov was arrested in Istanbul on 17 January 2017. Islamic State claimed credit for his actions.[3] The first hearing in the trial of Masharipov and 51 accused accomplices was held on 11 December 2017,[1] and the next hearing was held on 26 March 2018.[4]

Background

From the 2016 northern summer, the Islamic State had been under pressure and had sustained significant territorial losses due to three parallel offensives: the Turkish-Free Syrian Army Western al-Bab offensive and Battle of al-Bab, the Syrian Democratic Forces' Northern Raqqa offensive, and the Battle of Mosul in Iraq. The Turkish military intervention in Syria was the first military confrontation between ISIL and the Turkish Army, raising tensions.

Before the nightclub attack, heightened security measures had been put in place in Istanbul, with 17,000 police officers on duty,[5] following several attacks in the area,[6] including the attack on the Istanbul Atatürk Airport on 28 June 2016 which killed 48 people, and a bombing at the Vodafone Arena on 10 December 2016 which killed 46.

Attack

A terrorist opened fire in the nightclub at approximately 01:15. He reportedly carried an AKM rifle; after killing a police officer and a bystander at the entrance he entered the club shooting, allegedly dressed up as Santa Claus.[7][8][9] The assailant reportedly spoke Arabic during the attack[10] and shouted the Arabic phrase "Allāhu akbar".[11][12][13] He reportedly fired more than 180 rounds during the seven-minute incident, using stun grenades to aid in reloading his weapon.[14] After the assault, he went into the kitchen, changed his clothes, and escaped by blending in with the crowd.[15]

At the time of the attack, about 600 people[16] were at the nightclub to celebrate the New Year.[17] 39 people were killed, including the police officer on duty at the club entrance,[12] and at least 79 others were injured.[18] The morgue later revealed that most of the fatal victims were shot at close range and/or shot directly in the head.[19] A number of people jumped into the waters of the Bosphorus strait to escape the attack.[20] In the aftermath, police set up a cordon around the nightclub.[21]

Aftermath

Reina nightclub screened off after the terrorist attack

Istanbul's governor Vasip Şahin said the incident was a terrorist attack.[22] The Turkish government ordered a temporary media blackout, citing concerns over security and public order.[6]

In response to the attack, the Turkish military carried out attacks against ISIL targets in the Syrian town of al-Bab. 22 people are claimed to have been killed in the raids.[23]

Seven Uyghur restaurant workers were arrested by police in Zeytinburnu, which became the site of over 50 police sweeps against "East Turkistanis" (Uyghurs), Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Uzbeks,[24] a number of Uyghurs were detained outside of Istanbul in Selimpaşa,[25] and altogether up to 36 people were detained in connection with the investigation in the days following the attack.[26] It has been alleged that Kyrgyzstan passports were used by several families allegedly from East Turkestan with 20 children, and 22 women and men, all of whom were among 40 arrested by Turkish security forces in İzmir's Bornova and Buca districts.[27] Weapons were found with the İzmir suspects.[28] Syrians, Uyghurs, and Dagestanis were arrested in Izmir.[29]

Perpetrator

On 9 January 2017, Turkish police identified the suspected shooter as an Uzbek national,[30] Abdulkadir Masharipov (Uzbek Cyrillic: Абдул-Кадир Машарипов; born 2 August 1988),[31] who also goes by the name Abu Muhammed Horasani.[32] He was arrested on 16 January at a Kyrgyz friend's apartment in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul.[33] Firearms, ammunition, two drones and about $200,000 were found in the apartment.[34]

Masharipov was 28 years old at the time of the attack and is believed to have been trained as a militant in Afghanistan and Pakistan before illegally entering Turkey through the Iranian border in January 2016.[34] Masharipov is also believed to have trained with Al Qaeda in Iraq, the group that morphed into ISIL, and had spent most of his time in Turkey in the city of Konya before arriving in Istanbul on 16 December 2016.[34][35] In an interview with police, Masharipov stated he was initially directed by ISIL to stage an attack at Taksim Square, but dropped the plan after conducting surveillance of the area and concluding there was too much security. Afterward, Masharipov passed the Reina and decided it would be a good target to attack due to a lack of security.[35]

In September 2020, a Turkish court sentenced Masharipov to life imprisonment, plus an additional 1,368 years in prison, for killing 39 people and injuring 79 more.[36] In his last testimony, he requested that he be exonerated, saying his original statements were under "torture and pressure". He said there was inadequate evidence against him. It is anticipated he will appeal the verdict.[37]

On 10 December 2021, another suspect linked to the 2017 attack was detained in police custody in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.[38]

Victims

Tributes commemorating the victims outside Reina nightclub, January 17, 2017

Among the victims were people from 14 countries,[39] including Bollywood film producer Abis Rizvi, producer of the 2014 film Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans.[40]

Victims by nationality
Nationality Dead Wounded References
 Turkey 10 Unknown
 Saudi Arabia 7 9 [41]
 Iraq 3 0 [42]
 Lebanon 3 7 [43]
 Jordan 2 4 [44]
 Morocco 2 4 [45][44]
 Turkey– Germany 2 0 [46]
 India 2 0 [47][44]
 Kuwait 1 5 [41][48][44]
 Libya 1 3 [citation needed]
 Israel 1 1 [49][50][51]
 Tunisia 1 0 [52]
 Tunisia– France 1 0 [53]
 Canada 1 0 [42][44]
 Syria 1 0 [42][44]
 Russia 1 0 [44]
 France 0 4 [54]
 Germany 0 3 [46]
 Azerbaijan 0 2 [55]
 Bulgaria 0 1 [56]
 United States 0 1 [57]
Unknown 0 35
Total 39 79 [citation needed]

Reactions

Mourners after the attack, January 3, 2017

Vasip Şahin, the governor of Istanbul, described the attack as a "violent and cruel act of terror"[58] and said that the attacker had used a "long-range weapon" to "brutally and savagely" fire on people, referring to a type of assault rifle.[59]

The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the attack and offered condolences on behalf of those who died, including victims from other countries.[60]

Many world leaders and officials condemned the attack, offering condolences.[60][61]

Conspiracy theories

The US embassy denied social media rumours that it had prior intelligence of the attack.[62][63]

Some Turkish citizens, journalists, and pro-AKP journals such as Sabah put forward conspiracy theories claiming that agencies from Western countries, such as the CIA, organized the attack.[64]

Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı, which is the Turkish mouthpiece of the Uyghur group Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), complained about the Reina massacre suspect being named as Uyghur by Veysi Kaynak, the Deputy Prime Minister, blaming Fethullah Gülen and his movement for the attack.[65] Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı, speaking on behalf of the TIP, pledged its animosity against Russia and the PKK, saying it fought them alongside Turkmen in Syria for six years, denying involvement in the Reina nightclub massacre and trying to blame China for the massacre, claiming that Uyghurs in Küçükçekmece and Zeytinburnu were being unfairly targeted.[66] Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı and Zeytinburnu Uyghurs blamed the Gülen movement for the Reina nightclub massacre.[67]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Şafak, Yeni. "Turkish court remands 44 in nightclub attack trial". Yeni Şafak. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Reina katliamı davasında karar: Saldırgana 40 kez ağırlaştırılmış müebbet ve 1368 yıl hapis cezası". T24 (in Turkish). Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Turkey detains 82 foreigners planning to go to Syria: report". Arab News. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Survivors remember horror in trial of Daesh massacre in Istanbul". Daily Sabah. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  5. ^ Bilginsoy, Zeynep (January 2017). "2 reported dead in New Year's attack on Istanbul nightclub". AP News. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Istanbul Reina nightclub attack 'leaves 39 dead'". BBC News. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
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  8. ^ "Son Dakika: Ünlü gece kulübüne silahlı saldırı". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  9. ^ "One attacker still inside Istanbul nightclub: CNN Turk". Reuters. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Gece Kulübü Reina'ya Terör Saldırısı Vali Şahin: 1 Polis Şehit, 35 Sivil Hayatını Kaybetti" [Terrorist Attack on Night Club Reina! 39 People Lose Their Life, 69 Injured] (in Turkish). sondakika.com. January 2017. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Uusi vuosi alkoi verilöylyllä Turkissa – lue yhteenveto tuhoisasta yökerhoiskusta" [The new year began with a massacre in Turkey - read a summary of the devastating attack on a nightclub]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Police hunt lone Istanbul gunman who is on the run". News Corp Australia. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  13. ^ Debets, Christoph (1 January 2017). "Anschlag in Istanbul: Killer schrie "Allahu Akbar"" [Attack in Instanbul: Killer shouts "Allahu Akbar"]. Euronews (in German).
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  30. ^ "Turkish police identify Reina attacker as Abdulkadir Masharipov - CRIME".
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  32. ^ Burke, Jason (5 January 2017). "Clues suggest Istanbul nightclub gunman may be a Uighur". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  33. ^ Morton, Victor. "Suspect arrested in New Year's jihad attack on Istanbul nightclub". Washington Times. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
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  35. ^ a b "Istanbul Reina attacker 'switched target' after Raqqa order". hurriyetdailynews.com. Hurriyet. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  36. ^ "Turkish court hands life sentence to main suspect in nightclub shooting". Reuters. 7 September 2020.
  37. ^ "Turkey court sentences nightclub shooting suspect to life in jail". Al Jazeera. 7 September 2020.
  38. ^ KHARIZOV, Ruslan (11 December 2021). "Suspect of 2017 Istanbul nightclub attack detained in Bishkek". 24.kg. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
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  40. ^ "Istanbul nightclub attack: Bollywood grieves film producer and Rizvi Builders CEO Abis Rizvi's death". DNA India. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  41. ^ a b "Seven Saudis among other Arabs killed in Turkey nightclub attack". Al Arabiya English. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  42. ^ a b c "The Latest: Lebanese man says brother is among Istanbul dead". Seymour Tribune. 1 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  43. ^ السبيل دوت نت
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  45. ^ "King Mohammed VI to Pay for Remains Transfer of Moroccan Nationals Killed in Istanbul's Attack". Morocco World News. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  46. ^ a b "Two from Germany killed in Turkish night club attack". TheLocal.de. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  47. ^ "Two Indians among those killed in terror attack on Istanbul nightclub". Hindustan Times. 1 January 2017.
  48. ^ "Terror suspect who killed 39 New Year's revelers in Turkey on the run". NBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  49. ^ "Israeli woman hurt in Istanbul club attack; another missing". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  50. ^ "ישראלית נהרגה בפיגוע בטורקיה. "אמרנו לה לא לנסוע בגלל המצב"" [Israeli killed in Turkey terror attack. 'We told her not to go because of the situation'] (in Hebrew). Walla!News. 1 January 2016.
  51. ^ "גופתה של ליאן תגיע מחר לישראל במימון המדינה" [19 yr old Lian's body brought to Israel funded by the government] (in Hebrew). Israel Broadcasting Authority. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  52. ^ "Terrorism takes the lives of two Tunisians in Istanbul". Shems FM. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
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  54. ^ "Attentat d'Istanbul : au moins trois Français blessés, le tireur toujours en fuite" [Attack of Istanbul: at least three French wounded, the shooter still on the run]. Le Figaro (in French). January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
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  56. ^ "Българка е сред пострадалите при атентата в Истанбул" [Bulgarian is among the victims of the bombing in Istanbul]. Dnes (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 1 January 2017.
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  58. ^ Smith, Hannah Lucinda (1 January 2017). "Hunt for gunman after nightclub massacre". The Sunday Times.
  59. ^ "Manhunt underway after 39 killed in Istanbul nightclub gun attack". Yeni Şafak English. Reuters. 1 January 2017.
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  63. ^ "Manhunt on for Istanbul nightclub shooter". Fox News Channel. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  64. ^ Imbert, Louis (2 January 2017). "A Istanbul, les théories du complot fleurissent" [In Istanbul, conspiracy theories flourish]. Le Monde (in French).
  65. ^ "Başbakan Yardımcısı Veysi Kaynak'a Cevap Uygurlardan Geldi; Kardeşimiz Dediğiniz DUK Fetö'cü, Bunu Biliyormusunuz". Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017.
  66. ^ "Komünist Çin, Türkiye'de Sansasyonel Eylem Yapmayı Planlıyor". Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017.
  67. ^ "ORTAKÖY KATLİAMINI FETÖ'CÜLER Mİ AYDINLATACAK ?". Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
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