Eurasia Tunnel overshadows murder of Russian envoy in Turkey
The opening of Istanbul's Eurasia Tunnel, the second underwater passageway connecting Europe and Asia under the Bosporus, has been a chance for some pro-Erdogan media outlets to sideline coverage of the murder of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov.
Turkey has not yet recovered from the shocking murder of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov on Dec. 19. The mystery surrounding the motives of the perpetrator, police officer Mevlut Altintas, and whether the country’s notorious “deep state” had any role in the episode will not be resolved for a while.
Amid such troubling uncertainty, pro-government media outlets have offered the Turkish people a respite with coverage of the Dec. 20 opening of the Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul. The daily Star headlined its story “Service continues in spite of scoundrels,” a reference to the “masterminds” suspected of ordering Karlov’s assassination to derail Turkey’s progress with the economy and in building infrastructure. Likewise, Yeni Safak saw the opening as “The most beautiful response” to those who would like to cause chaos and disorder in their country.
