Bombing Exposes Divide In Turkish Politics
Tensions in Reyhanli mirror Turkish Alevis' frustrations over their unmet demands for recognition.
![TURKEY-ALEVI/MARCH Turkey's Alevis attend a rally in Ankara November 9, 2008. Thousands of Turkish Alevis marched in Ankara on Sunday in their first massive demonstration to call for an end to discrimination by the government and compulsory religious classes. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY) - RTXAF37](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2013/05/Alevi-rally-in-Ankara-November-2008.jpg/Alevi-rally-in-Ankara-November-2008.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=Y5GLsU__)
The harm inflicted on Turkey by the nearly one ton of explosives detonated in the terrorist attack in Reyhanli indicates a political motive well beyond the 51 dead, scores wounded and 293 homes, 62 cars and 452 offices damaged. A professional job that evokes the uncertain future of the horror in Syria, the attack has widened one of Turkey’s open fault lines.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is confident about who the perpetrator is. “The [Syrian] regime is behind this. It’s obvious,” he said over the weekend. “Certainly, there are people among us who provide them support — in political terms, too. … There are attempts to drag us into a sectarian conflict. We see their extensions, too.”