Jihadist Terrorism in Turkey

In the 1980s and 1990s, Jihadist terrorism in Turkey remained an isolated phenomenon represented by two organisations, the Turkish Hizbullah and the Great East Islamic Raiders' Front (IBDA-C). The first was a Kurdish, the second a predominantly Turkish group. Both were nationalist in outlook and strategy. From 2001, however, many Turkish Jihadists have integrated themselves into larger transnational networks, increasingly transcending national affiliations. Instead of fighting Turkish secularists and moderate Islamists, they rather attack Western targets. They have developed a new interest in Jihadist causes worldwide and have broadened their cooperation with Uzbek, Afghan, Pakistani and Arab Jihadists. The Turkish diaspora in Europe is an important element in this development. If this trend continues, the terrorist threat in Turkey and in countries where sizable Turkish diaspora communities live, is likely to grow.