Bomb explodes in Kusadasi
 

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exer...464FF8DCD6.htm

Just an FYI. I'm going next month, and think it's important to be aware!

It's a little surprising that it's not mentioned in the Turkish Daily News, or at least I can't find it: http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/

MAYDAY celebrations sometime cause problem in Turkey because of kurdish people.
According to my friends in Turkey
there were no bomb. I think Aljazeera making up some news. The picture on the internet is not picture taken in Kusadasi because I also live in Kusadasi and we do not have any high building. I am definitly this new is FAKE.

Have a nice trip in Turkey

Sinan Akdeniz

I wish it were a lie but it is on more and more news sites now. A policeman was killed and there are photographs.

Sinan, you didn't really mean to say there are no tall buildings in Kusadasi, did you? (I know there are not "skyscrapers," but don't you think there is a lot of modern, fairly high construction?) It seems that there's enough reporting of this by different sources, other than AlJazeera.

Sinan, I'm not sure what you're talking about in regards to the tall buildings. The picture on that first link is not necessarily related to the Kusadasi incident, and no one suggests that picture is even in Kusadasi. It is merely a picture of Kurds celebrating May Day -- as apparently there was not yet a picture of the bomb or aftermath.

It was in the news yesterday, but it was not big news. Kurds have been placing bombs every now and then in Turkey, luckily nowadays way less often than they used to.

from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/inter...explosion.html

AP6380, I agree that it's important to be aware. As for your trip next month, I wouldn't worry too much and I'm presuming that you aren't either. The chances of an individual being personally involved in one of these sporadic incidents are incredibly small.

I'm not concerned, just glad to be aware. It's hard to ruffle my feathers as I saw many of the events of 911 unfold, and work a few blocks away. I feel like these kinds of things can happen almost anywhere nowadays.

How about New York?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/05/uk....ate/index.html

Regards

I was just about to mention that!

How I hope this isn't the beginning of a trend......

Well since YOU posted on this subject, AP, the reality of the situation (and I do realize how difficult it is for many people to deal with reality) is that bombings are NOT happening everywhere on a regular basis-there are "one-off" bombings that aren't specifically targeting a particular population-and there are those few places where they ARE targeting a population-specifically westerners. Turkey is one of those places, and Egypt is another.

Here's a partial listing of the bombing situation in Turkey since 2003-targeting tourists and other western businesses and institutions::

February 2003-bomb defused at Mcdonald's in Istanbul, no one hurt

November 15, 2003-Istanbul-2 massive truck bombs go off in 2 separate synagogues-killing 27 people injuring several dozens-perpetrated by al-Qaeda

November 30, 2003 (two weeks later)-MASSIVE truck bombing of British HCSB bank and British Consul General bldg. in downtown Istanbul that killed 30 people, including the British Consul for Turkey, Roger Short- injuring some 400 people- perpetrated by al-Qaeda

May 2004-car bombs go off outside Mcdonalds in Istanbul- cars demolished- no one injured

August 11, 2004-simultaneous explosions rock Istanbul at dawn, one at a gas station and the other at two hotels in the heart of the tourist district, (Sultanahmet) killing 2 tourists in hotel and injuring 11 other tourists from various nationalities- al-Qaeda thought responsible.

June 2004-bomb blast on bus in Istanbul kills 4, injures dozens-female suicide bomber

April 2005-bomb placed by a statue in center of town square in tourist Kusadasi blows off the arm of a policeman in process of detonating it.

You're talking a LOT of dead and injured in a year and a half time frame in Istanbul. And if you want to consider this to be "negative" reporting on Turkey-go right ahead. This is nothing more than the reality of the situation. You can choose to deal with it as you wish.

"How I hope this isn't the beginning of a trend......"

No, it not the beginning of a trend. It is a trend that has been "in fashion" for twenty years or so. Nothing new in that. I have been in Turkey when there was a bomb somewhere in Ankara. And in Switzerland when there was a bomb threat at the airport. And in London when they took off the trash cans in fear of bombs. And in Tunisia when a bomb exploded in a nearby hotel. And those all happened years ago.

Maybe American newspapers just have not reported those, and people think it all started in 2001. And all the bomb people are not some islamist extremists. IRA, ETA and PLO have been bomb-happy for ages.

Elina-you're missing the point. Bombs go off in different places, one-off events all the time in different places-that's true-but MOST OF THE TIME-there have been warnings before the bombs go off so that people won't be killed or injured, and the bombs have not been placed in those areas where people are congregating or working during the day-in other words-they are not being set to SPECIFICALLY TARGET WESTERNERS. THIS is the major difference here, with the appearance of al-Qaeda factions in Turkey.

True, ETA has a habit of warning, but I don´t think for example IRA always warned. And they are westerners targeting westerners. This I don´t get either: "the bombs have not been placed in those areas where people are congregating or working during the day-in other words-they are not being set to SPECIFICALLY TARGET WESTERNERS. "

That is exactly how they have been placed: airports, downtown trash cans, shopping malls and so on. And of course they target westerners - Europeans are westerners, and there have been bombs all over. Americans just have travelled happily because they have not known about them.

The Kusadasi bomb was far more likely greetings from PLO than greetings from Al Quaida. There was a time when I travelled to Turkey every summer (15 years ago), and in those days PLO was very active. They targeted tourist areas to hurt Turkish economy, not because they hated tourists.

You make Turkey sound like battle ground, which it is not. I was in Istanbul three days after the Istanbul synagogue/consulate bombings. Life went on as usual. I didn´t have to look over my shoulder.

Good grief, I always mix up PLO and PKK. Never mind, who can keep track with all of them.

Hi
Was in Turkey over the weekend and never heard a word about the bomb untill my neighbour came in and told me! I am in the process of buying a house over there near Didim and this has made me a little anxious!
Also as an irish woman - the ira do actually warn and take responsiblity for their bombs and there has been none since the bad Omagh one years ago. Its frightening to think that westerners or holiday makers would be considered targets. I need reassurance now!