Istanbul News

This morning I woke up to my husband calling me on Facetime and it was really nice to talk to him. I worked on the documents I am sending to the NVC and he was simultaneously doing the things he needed to send me. It was about 9 a.m. for me about 6p.m. for him. About 10 p.m. his time his father came in the living room and said to turn on the T.V. quickly, there was an attack at the Ataturk International Airport. How grievous. So, what the news got there is different than here. Let me tell you what happened.  

According to reports from eye witnesses, and employees of the airport (who were also eye witnesses) A man was in the International Arrivals leaving the airport, and had to check in his baggage through airport security. He was getting aggitated because he wanted to get through quickly. However, the airport security asked for him to please be paitent as they were looking in the scanner in his bag. The man threw some hand grenades into the where his bag was (the bag was a bomb inside,) and burst through the security line yelling and throwing more hand grenades.He had an assult weapon and was firing it as well.  He had strapped to himself a bomb and as he was yelling and throwing hand grenades, he blew himself up. Others at the scene said there were two people, and one was firing assult weapon while the other was throwing hand grenades.The one who was firing the A-K 47, ran around, and would try to shoot anyone he could see. There was no method of whom he was shooting at. Eye witnesses said when he was done shooting, he simply turned, walked down the escalator, and went out of the airport (there is a metro in the lowest floor the airport, most likely to catch a metro?)  One man tried to grab, and threw down the suicide bomber who had explosives under his vest.  60 (count may go higher) people died, and more than 125 people were severely injured, more than several people were in critically injured. The largest marjority amoung the dead were Turkish Citizens. 

Within 30 minutes of this taken place, a Government Offical (Husband recognized him as the Secretary of State for Turkey) was already on the scene and addressing the situation, and many people were on their phones with what happened as well. 

This act of terror is one of so many, it is hard to count now, in Turkey. I hope that we stop giving notice to those terrorist groups, and call htem for what they are. Cowards. They are terrorists, but don't deserve for the media to say who they are. So far, people are specualting, but thinking that Da'esh is responsible. 

One man that spoke to the camera, in turkish said that he was going to the Duty Free store to buy some alcohol, when all the sudden he heard the bombs go off, and most of the bottles in the store came crashing to the floor, everyone in the store was terrified, and they knew it was bombs going off. 

This is one of the many terrorists attacks, whose lives have been taken (most over 150 lives) in the past year, and this year alone Turkey has been suffering so far, 5 attacks before this one on the 28th of June 2016. Of course those are reported attacks, and who is to say there have been more. 

Turkish Citizens: Our heart and prayers are with you and your family at this horrible time in history.