Over the weekend, there were deadly attacks in both Ankara, Turkey and in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast. In Grand-Bassam, a popular area for travelers and home to many resorts, gunmen associated with al-Qaeda swarmed a tourist beach and killed fifteen civilians, as well as three special forces. Meanwhile, in Ankara, a car bomb on a busy street in the capital killed at least 37 and injured another estimated 125. Turkish media has reportedly attributed this attack, the third major attack in Ankara in the last five months, to Kurdish extremists. This follows an ISIS attack in Istanbul in January.
The U.S. government has not issued any formal travel alerts or warnings for these two countries since the attacks happened. However, there was a warning issued for Turkey on February 29, encouraging people to avoid the southeastern part of the country and the Syrian border: "Recent terrorist attacks from international and indigenous groups have targeted popular tourist sites, U.S. government buildings, police, and other local authorities throughout Turkey. The threat of kidnapping remains a concern, especially in the southeast. There have been incidents of cross-border shelling from Syria into Turkey." This warning replaced one from February 4 that was updated a few weeks following the bombing in Istanbul.
The White House made a formal statement following the attack: "The United States condemns in the strongest terms today's terrorist attack in Ankara, Turkey, which has taken innocent lives and injured scores. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those killed and injured as well as to their loved ones. This horrific act is only the most recent of many terrorist attacks perpetrated against the Turkish people. The United States stands together with Turkey, a NATO Ally and valued partner, as we confront the scourge of terrorism."
The U.S. State Department issued a similar message in the wake of the Ivory Coast attack: "The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Cote d’Ivoire in the Grand-Bassam. We send our thoughts and prayers to all affected by this senseless violence. The U.S. Embassy in Abidjan is making every effort to account for the welfare of American citizens in the area. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updated information to the U.S. citizen community as it becomes available. Cote d’Ivoire is an important regional partner to the United States, and in the days ahead we stand ready to support the Ivorian government as it investigates this heinous attack."
More information will be published here as it becomes available.
