An assailant believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus costume and armed with a long-barreled weapon, opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul’s Ortakoy district during New Year’s celebrations, killing dozens of people and wounding dozens of others in what the province’s governor described as a terror attack.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) January 1, 2017 — A deadly New Year’s assault on an Istanbul nightclub follows a long string of attacks in Turkey over the past year. A look at the most significant attacks:
— Jan. 12, 2016, Istanbul: a Suicide bomber kills 12 German tourists in the historic district. Authorities say the attacker has linked the Islamic State group.
— Feb. 17, Ankara: A suicide car bomb apparently targeting military personnel kills 29 people in an attack claimed by TAK, an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
—March 13, Ankara: Kurdish woman blows herself up in a car at a busy transport hub, killing 37 people in an attack claimed by TAK, also known as the Kurdish Freedom Falcons.
— March 19, Istanbul: Turkish suicide bomber kills five people in the city’s main pedestrian shopping street, Istiklal. Turkish officials say the bomber was linked to IS.
— March 31, Diyarbakir: Car bomb kills seven police officers and wounds, 27 people, including 13 police.
— April 12, Gaziantep: Syrian journalist dies from gunshot wounds from attack claimed by IS.
— April 27, Bursa: Female suicide bomber wounds 13 in a historic district of Turkey’s fourth largest city.
— May 1, Gaziantep: a Car bomb at the entrance of a police station kills two officers, 22 other people wounded.
—May 10, Diyarbakir: Car bomb strikes police vehicle carrying officers escorting seven detained Kurdish militants, killing three people and wounding 45 others.
— May 12, Istanbul: Car bomb targeting a military garrison explodes during rush hour, wounding eight people.
— June 7, Istanbul: Car bomb hits a riot police bus during the morning rush hour, killing 11 people and wounding 36. A Kurdish militant group claims responsibility.
— June 8, Midyat: Kurdish suicide car bomber kills five people and wounds 51, including 23 civilians, outside a police headquarters near Turkey-Syria border.
— June 17, Istanbul: Car bomb explodes as a police vehicle passes by, killing 11 people.
— June 28, Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport: Three suicide bombers armed with assault rifles storm airport, killing 44 people and wounding nearly 150.
— July 15: About 270 people die in a military coup attempt.
— Aug. 17, Van: a Car bombing at a police station kills a police officer and two civilians; 53 civilians and 20 police officers wounded.
— Aug. 18, Elazig: a Car bomb at police headquarters kills at least five people and wounds more than 140.
— Aug. 20, Gaziantep: Suicide bomber — possibly as young as 12 — kills at least 51 people at an outdoor Kurdish wedding party. IS suspected of directing the attack.
— Aug. 26, Cizre: Kurdish suicide bomber rams an explosives-laden truck into a police checkpoint, killing at least 11 officers and wounding 78 other people.
— Sept, 12. Van: Car bomb wounds 50 people outside ruling party’s municipal headquarters.
— Oct. 6, Istanbul: Motorcycle bomb explodes near a police station, wounding at least 10 people.
— Oct. 8, Ankara: Two suicide bombers blow themselves up after refusing to surrender to police. No one else was hurt.
— Oct. 9, Hakkari province: Kurdish militants detonate a car bomb outside a military checkpoint in the southeast, killing 10 soldiers and eight civilians.
— Oct. 10, Dice: A top local official of the ruling Justice and Development Party is killed when attackers open fire at a gas station he owned.
— Nov. 4, Diyarbakir: Car bomb near a riot police bus kills at least 11 people, including two police officers. A Kurdish militant group and IS both claim responsibility.
— Nov. 24, Adana: Car bomb targeting a government building kills at least two people and wounds 33 others.
— Dec. 10, Istanbul: A double bomb attack outside soccer stadium kills 44 people and wounds 149.
—Dec. 17, Kayseri province: Suicide car bomber targeting a public bus transporting off-duty soldiers kills 13 troops and wounds 56 other people.
—Dec. 19, Ankara: A Turkish riot policeman assassinates Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov at a photo exhibition.
—Jan. 1, 2017, Istanbul. An assailant opens fire at a crowded nightclub during New Year’s celebrations. Istanbul’s governor says the attack killed at least 35 people and wounded 40 others.
