Most of the victims of the bombings in Turkey were non-Jewish Turks, and given the crowded conditions in the area, the bombers had to know in advance that they were going to kill non-Jews as well as Jews in the synagogue. Turkish media have reported that three people being held in connection with the bombings include veiled women, apparently Arabs who infiltrated the country from abroad.

Turkey is a particularly "juicy" target for Islamists. After World War I, Kemal Ataturk recreated Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman empire. He abolished the Caliphate, a relic of times lost past, and created Turkey as a modern secular state - the first such state with a Muslim majority. This formula was tested severely with the rise of the Justice and Development (AKP) party, with its program of Islamic reform. However, party leaders promissed that their party was Islamic but not Islamist, and was firmly democratic, and to the surprise of some, they have been as good as their word. The government of Recep Ergogan is a firm ally of the United States and a good friend to Israel, despite criticism of Israeli policies toward Palestinians.

This combination of Islam with friendship to the West and to Israel is a clear challenge to the lunatic fringe of Islamism, and it was only a matter of time before Turkey joined other moderate countries that have been attacked by the Islamists.

Ami Isseroff

Synagogue bombings toll rises
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s990209.htm
As authorities comb the sites of bomb attacks on synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, the death toll from the blasts has risen to at least 22 people with 242 wounded.

A police spokesman says a number of the wounded are still in hospital though many have been released.

He says it is too early to give any details on the investigation, as work is continuing.

"There's still nothing certain," he said.

Israeli public radio reports of those killed, six are Jews.

"We have identified six Jews among the people killed in these attacks, including four security guards employed by the community," an Istanbul source said.

"Most of those killed were neighbouring shop workers."

Four Israeli police experts have been sent to Turkey to conduct a criminal enquiry along with members of the Zaka volunteer group, which spedeletedes in aiding the victims of catastrophes.

Turkish officials have said international groups - possibly including Al Qaeda - might have had a hand in the Saturday morning blasts, which wrecked cars and buildings over wide areas around the heavily protected synagogues.