Turkologist Andranik Ispiryan has presented details to Armenian News – NEWS.am from Istabul in connection with the attack in the city’s renowned Reina nightclub.

Like in many countries, people in Turkey also celebrate New Year in restaurants and clubs. On the very first day of New Year, the first news appearing in global media outlets related to the terrorist attack in Istanbul’s Reina nightclub. This news was a “cold shower”especially for the Turkish citizens. The society, which had not yet recovered after several bloody attacks at the end of the year, was once again taken aback on the New Year night.   

An armed man had entered the aforementioned nightclub in Ortaköy neighborhood of Istanbul and started firing at everyone with a rifle. He had first killed a policeman and then those who were in the club. The criminal then managed to escape the site. 

Hours after the incident, the nightclub owner stated that the US intelligence had announced about a possible terrorist attack because of which the nightclub surroundings were under beefed up control during the last ten days, but the police were not able to prevent the bloody slaughter.

After the Reina massacre, all the Turkish TV channels, press and radio were flooded with news regarding the incident. Different analysts talked about the incident on almost all the TV channels, trying to link it with Gülen followers and “outside forces,” who wish to hinder the Russian-Turkish agreement, stressing especially the steps of Turkey and Russia towards establishing ceasefire in Syria.

On the festive days the only topic of discussion in all the shops and different institutions of Istanbul is the Reina attack. Part of the citizens agree with the government propaganda that this incident was aimed at establishing ceasefire in Syria along with Russia, while the other part merely rebukes the authorities for turning the country into “Afghanistan”and chaos.  “We lived very well. What does Turkey have to do in Syria and Iraq? Let the authorities there do whatever they want. As a result of this shortsighted policy they have turned Turkey into chaos and center of terrorist attacks,”different citizens say, commenting on the policy conducted by Turkey.

A special topic of concern is that the architect behind the armed attack is still on the loose: the police have only managed to gather information on him, as well as detain his wife and dozens of persons suspected of having ties with the terrorism. 

It was found out that the terrorist, who is a Kyrgyzstan citizen, arrived at Istanbul airport with his wife and two children on November 20. He then left for Konya city on November 22, where he rented a house by 1100 lira monthly via a real estate agency, paying the rent for three months.

The agency workers have been detained. They informed that the Kyrgyz man had said he had come to Konya to look for a job. They also stressed that foreign citizens also mediated in the issue of finding a house for him. However, they quickly left Konya after the incident. The detained wife of the criminal insisted she was not aware her husband was an Islamic State member.

Some Turkish media outlets noted that while storming the club, the terrorist used Flash Bang type hand grenade, which is used by special intelligence service workers. The aforementioned grenade produces a blinding flash of light and a loud sound of over 170 decibels (dB).

After the incident, the nightclub owner told reporters that the criminal left the club, since nobody was left alive. That is, he was able to commit a massacre and quietly leave the club without any hindrance.

Soon after the incident, Reuters informed that the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

The 39 victims of the attack were citizens of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Tunis, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and India. 

But one thing is especially interesting here: Most of those killed by IS are citizens of the countries, which according to Syrian and Iranian officials are the main supporters of IS.

Leader of opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, made an interesting comment regarding the incident. He slammed the authorities, noting that the weapons sent to Syria by trucks to support the Islamists in order to overthrow Assad, have now come back and are used against Turkey.