Police arrested a suspect after the latest Turkey terrorist attack on Sunday — which left six dead and dozens injured. The incident happened on one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul. The bustling Istiklal Street was disrupted by an explosion, leading thousands to disperse and run in terror.
Labeled as the deadliest attack in Turkey in more than five years, authorities believe that a female is behind it. In fact, justice minister Bekir Bozdag emphasized that a woman had sat on a nearby bench for more than 40 minutes. Minutes after she left, people could hear the blast kilometers away.
The minister of interior, Suleyman Soyly, accused the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) of the vicious act. But no one has claimed responsibility for the Turkey terrorist attack yet.
Note: Turkey, the EU, and the US regard the PKK as a terrorist organization. The PKK denies any involvement in this case.
Minutes after the detonation, police, ambulances, and other services rushed to the scene. In the meantime, some wounded tried to get to the hospitals alone, creating an even greater commotion.
Notably, this isn’t the first time terrorists have targeted this area. In 2016, a suicide bomber killed five and wounded 36 individuals. However, these are only two in a string of terrorist attacks from 2015 that took hundreds of lives, leaving even more injured.
All this may incentivize security companies to up their game in terms of travel risk management. And for a good reason!
What This Means for EP and HNW Clients
Many revere Istiklal Street as a popular shopping street where foreigners and locals go on splurges. The endless line of cafes, restaurants, and shops make it a convenient setting to spend quality time.
Along similar lines, July 2022 saw a rise in foreign visitors by 53% in comparison to last year. Equally important, many of these foreigners come from high-net-worth backgrounds, including:
- Executives and businesspeople,
- UHNW families, and
- Other prominent individuals.
In this sense, executive protection professionals are always in a difficult situation when it comes to balancing comfort and safety. Sometimes, the principal doesn’t want to miss out on some experiences or simply enjoys wandering the streets or visiting historical sites. And this was the case of Istiklal Street, where the latest Turkey terrorist attack occurred.
However, there certainly are ways to bypass similar situations if your security company has developed standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Apart from that, what are some precautionary measures that you are taking in order to protect the principal and protectees?
