Istanbul's Bloody New Year Tragedy: Terrorist Attack With Santa Claus At Turkish Night Club

Rows of wreaths as a sign of condolences for the tragedy of the Serina nightclub striker in Istanbul, Turkey on New Year's Eve 2017. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - New Year's celebrations are often celebrated with great fanfare in Turkey. The general assembly is also looking for entertainment itself to enjoy the momentum of the turn of the year from 2016 to 2017. Some came to the city center. There are also those who come to nightclubs.

The famous nightclub, Reina in Istanbul became a youngstay of the Turkish helmsman. They have no bad feeling. However, disaster appeared in front of the eyes. A terrorist in a sintex costume with a gun entered and shot visitors to the club blindly.

Efforts to celebrate the New Year are everyone's right. Even in Turkey. Parents to young people have their own way of celebrating the New Year. The celebration was carried out as a form of warming togetherness while looking at the hopeful New Year.

People at the heart of Istanbul began to fill the city center to enjoy New Year's celebrations. They are looking forward to fireworks. However, there are also young people who choose to come to the popular nightclub, Reina in Istanbul on December 31, 2016.

There's no bad feeling. They just understand coming and having fun. The choice of the club Reina is not random. The nightclub can accommodate young people of up to hundreds of people. They can have fun while enjoying the New Year's recitation.

Problems arise. The New Year's party was disturbed in the early hours of January 1, 2017. A terrorist immediately entered a nightclub in a sintex-style outfit. Instead of bringing gifts, the unknown person actually carried a weapon.

Shots were randomly fired at visitors. The action shocked the whole of Reina. People forgot the party. They fled. There are also those who immediately look for a safe hiding place.

The action killed 39 people and injured 69 people. The perpetrators fled immediately before security officers arrived. News of the attack on the nightclub Reina shocked the whole of Turkey.

Hitting 5 in the morning, a terrorist carrying a long-barreled gun killed a policeman waiting outside, then killed another visitor who was about to enter. He then committed this cruel and brutal act by shooting at innocent people who were celebrating the New Year," said Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin as quoted by Kareem Shaheen in his article at The Guardian entitled Turkey Nightclub Shooting: Istanbul on Alert After Gunman Kills Dozens (2017).

The attack brought deep sorrow. The death toll did not only come in Turkey. There were at least 27 victims from 13 other countries. The victims, among others, came from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, to Canada.

The Turkish government did not remain silent. They began to feel who was the mastermind of the perpetrators of the crime. However, recently the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) admitted that they were the mastermind behind the attack. ISIS acts of terror allegedly because Turkey often interferes in their affairs.

The furious Turkish government immediately pursued the perpetrators. The power-owner did not want the act of terror to make the whole of Turkey afraid of activities. The results of this hard work paid off. Turkish security forces arrested up to 51 people suspected of taking allegiance to ISIS.

At its peak, the main perpetrator of the shooting wearing a sintexlas costume was arrested on January 17, 2017. The man was identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov. The man from Uzbekistan admitted that he had pledged allegiance to ISIS.

At first he was asked to carry out an attack on the Taxim square. However, Abdulkadir immediately changed the target in the last minute due to fairly strict security conditions. This condition made him shift the attack to the popular nightclub Reina, whose guard was not too tight.

Abdulkadir must also be held accountable for his crimes. At its peak, the Turkish Court sentenced him to life in September 2020. Or in Turkish law, life imprisonment means a prison sentence of 40 years.

"I came to Taxiim on New Year's Eve, but the security was too tight. It was impossible to carry out an attack (at Taxim)".

"I was given instructions to find a new target in the area. I toured the beach at 22.00 local time by taxi. Reina looks suitable for the attack. There is no visible tight security," said Abdulkadir as quoted on Detik.com page, January 18, 2017.