TERRORISM IS A GLOBAL THREAT AND MUST BE FOUGHT AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL
Terrorism in the Republic of Turkey has many origins. In fact, domestic terrorism has existed since the foundation of this country and has affected the political and social development of our country to varying degrees.
TERRORISM – PROBLEM OF DEFINITION
Terrorism of domestic or foreign origin generally involves acts of violence or intimidation by citizens or permanent residents of a nation against the general population or property of that nation in order to instil fear in order to further political, social or ideological objectives. In addition to discussing some examples of this tragic phenomenon, one should not forget the history and severity of domestic and externally controlled terrorism in the Republic of Turkey.
Domestic terrorism involves acts of violence committed by terrorists against public property or space in order to create fear in their own country. Domestic terrorism, including its various threats, types and instances, is fuelled by organising bloody acts to disrupt peace and tranquillity.
Terrorism is an act or threat designed to influence the government or intimidate the public. Its purpose is to advance a political, religious or ideological cause.
It is important to remember that all pro-terrorist groups, whether Islamist, far-right, with mixed and ambiguous ideologies, or otherwise, will commit violent acts and pose specific threats both online and offline.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TERRORISM – DIFFERENTIATING THE THREAT
Domestic terrorism is difficult to define, partly because of the absence of a specific and criminal act. It distinguishes domestic terrorism from other criminal acts. However, the term typically includes three elements.
Individual/Group;
Power/Violence;
Political/Social; the existence of a problem.
For this reason, the past and present uncertainty regarding the definition and differentiation of domestic terrorism in the furtherance of political/social aims, through acts or threats of force/violence by individuals/groups, creates a number of problems. Challenges in analysing this threat. First, depending on the definition used, domestic terrorism can be confused with other important but different threats to the homeland.
Domestic terrorists, typically of a designated foreign terrorist organisation, a similar concern is the potential for domestic terrorism to be confused with mass attack or serial attack, incidents that do not contain an ideological component. Mass shooting or mass shooting incidents can terrorise a community and often result in significant injury or loss of life.
Another challenge in analysing the threat of domestic terrorism is the inability to identify trends; there is no finite data that can clearly show the increase or decrease in criminal acts through quantitative data.
It is seen that Turkey applies military measures in the fight against terrorism. However, in addition to security measures, countries that address the fight against terrorism in a multidimensional manner have been more successful in the fight against terrorism. Turkey, which continued to fight against terrorism as a fight against terrorists with a militarist perspective until the 2000s, has realised that terrorism, which has gained strength by crossing national borders as it entered the 21st century, is not only a matter of domestic politics. Moreover, it has been accepted that the fight against terrorism should be multidimensional as terrorist organisations have changed by adopting different tactics with the impact of international developments. Therefore, not only military measures and tactics but also intellectual tactics have gained importance in the fight against terrorism.
In the fight against terrorism, the Republic of Turkey responds in the harshest way and continues successful operations according to our geographical conditions. In this respect, firstly, terrorism and the historical process of terrorism have been discussed. The methods to be used in the fight against terrorism and the determinations regarding the measures to be taken against the growth strategies of terrorist organisations are discussed under the title of combating terrorism. In order to present a comparative study, the counter-terrorism methods of state forces have been comparatively analysed under three headings: through security units, through legal means and through negotiations.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DYNAMICS, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS THAT CREATE TERRORISM IN TURKEY
Turkey has always been at the centre of attacks due to its location in a geography that has been the scene of struggles for influence for centuries. Due to its geopolitical and geostrategic importance, the Anatolian geography has been the arena of struggle/conflict throughout history for nations wishing to seize world domination. Turkish States were destroyed not by the invasion of enemy forces, but by the local traitors who collaborated with the enemy.
In this framework;
1) For centuries, missionary activities have been one of the greatest weapons of the western states in achieving their goals in Anatolian lands.
2) Another tactic is the Eastern Question, which is incompatible with historical facts.
3) They embarked on a major and systematic psychological operation to turn the Anatolian society, which shared the same fate, into hostile groups.
Thanks to the unique facilities provided by the Anatolian geography, Turkey has been able to control the Aegean and Black Seas and their basins, and to control the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans. The conquest and control of Anatolia by the Turks has been one of the important turning points in world history. The history of the new and recent ages is, in a sense, the history of wars, alliances, political and economic intrigues for the liberation or purification of Anatolia from the Turks. The geopolitical/geostrategic importance of the Turkish Straits, the Mediterranean and the Middle East throughout history; Other world countries have from time to time used their own forces, supported each other, and provoked minorities such as Greeks, Armenians and other internal elements in line with their policies and interests against Turkey.
Moreover, when the preparations, duration and results of the two world wars are examined, the secret and open attitudes and behaviours of the Western States regarding Turkey are clearly seen. Today, countries that have ambitions over Turkey in accordance with their national interests and objectives pursue a policy in line with world and regional political, socio-economic developments, taking into account the political, economic and social conditions in which Turkey finds itself. This policy is in the form of siding with or against Turkey from time to time.
