Families weep for the dead as the identities of the tragic Istanbul nightclub attack victims begin to emerge
TURKEY is mourning its dead as the identities of the Istanbul nightclub victims begin to emerge - including a man who survived another terror attack just three weeks ago.
Some 39 people were killed when a gunman burst into the Reina nightspot at around 1am local time on New Year’s Eve and went on a bloody rampage.
One of those killed in the club atrocity reportedly survived the bomb attack on the Besiktas stadium on December 10.
Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for the terror attack which killed 38 outside the sports venue after the end of a match between two top teams at the Vodafone Arena.
Security officer Fatih Çakmak was on duty at the stadium on the night of the attack and survived.
However, it's now been reported in Turkey he was killed in the New Year's Eve club attack.
It's not known if he was working on the night.
The names and faces of the tragic revellers – which included 24 foreign nationals – are now beginning to emerge as Turkey begins to bury its dead.
Among them was rookie cop Burak Yildiz, 21, who died protecting the club, according to Turkish media.
Reportedly only in the job for 12 months, Burak was one of the first to die when he was gunned down outside in the street.
And an 18-year-old Israeli woman became the first foreign victim to be named after a statement from Israel's foreign ministry.
Leanne Nasser from the Israeli-Arab town of Tira was celebrating with three pals at the Reina nightclub when the gunman broke in and opened fire.
Her friend Ruaa Mansour, also 18, was wounded in the attack, while the other two managed to escape unharmed.
Ms. Nasser’s father, Zaher, : “I know that the security situation in Turkey is not simple. Before she left, I asked her not to go, but to my regret, she insisted.”
Hatice Karcilar, 29, a private security guard at the Reina nightclub was also killed. Her body has been taken to her hometown on the coast of the Marmara Sea.
Andalou says she is survived by her husband and a 3-year-old daughter.
Haykal Mousallem, a businessman, from Lebanon was among the dead. He was with his wife to ring in the new year.
The death of Mr. Mousallem was confirmed by their relatives, according to Reuters.
Standing in front of a forensic institute on the outskirts of Istanbul on Sunday night, Stephanie Deek, said that she knew Mr. Mousallem and his wife.
They had married only five months ago, she said.
“He went to the toilet and his wife was waiting inside for him when the attack happened,” Ms. Deek said as local officials offered tea to grieving families.
“She ran outside but couldn’t find her husband.”
Ms. Deek said: “I am so sad. I cannot describe how I feel. I did not expect to find him here. I thought he was just missing.”
Also there to celebrate was Nawras Assaf, who owned a lounge and bar in Jordan. He was also reportedly killed inside the nightspot.
He was a father of three, and a brother-in-law of the country’s water and irrigation minister. His wife was injured.
“You are cowards and traitors,” one of his friends, Yazeed Massarweh, wrote on Facebook. “May God rest your soul Nawras, my smiling, laughing friend and may your family have patience.”
Another friend, , wrote on Facebook: “Very sad for the death of my friend Nawras Assaf in the savage, barbaric attack in Istanbul. Rest in peace.”
Turkish victims were buried, in accordance with Muslim traditions to hold funerals as soon as possible after death.
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Travel agent Ayhan Arik was among the dead.
Loved ones were seen sobbing over his coffin – which lay draped in the Turkish flag – in moving scenes.
Police in Turkey have now released the first pictures of the prime suspect in the New Year's nightclub attack. The unnamed man - believed to be a member of ISIS - is described as being from East Turkestan, Afghanistan or Chechnya.
State-run Anadolu news agency also identified a female security guard working at the club who was among those killed.
Other victims included people from Canada, Belgium, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, India, Lebanon and Libya.
At least two people killed in the attack had dual citizenship. One was a French citizen of Tunisian origin, who died with her Tunisian husband, according to the French Foreign Ministry.
Another was a Belgian citizen of Turkish ancestry, according to the Foreign Ministry of Belgium.
A footballer has told how he had to walk over piles of bodies with his girlfriend slung over his shoulder to escape the murderous rampage.
Turkish star Sefa Boydas was in the Reina nightclub in Istanbul with his girlfriend, her sister and hundreds of other partygoers when a unknown man with an assault rifle came storming in and opened fire.
Sefa, who plays for Istanbul club Beylerbeyi SK, said he has only been inside for about 10 minutes when he heard gunshots and one of his female friends fainted with shock.
He later said on Twitter: "I didn't see who was shooting but heard the gun shots and people fled.
"Police moved in quickly," .
"My girlfriend was wearing high heels. I lifted her and carried her out on my back."
Nationalities of the dead and injured revealed
AFP have put together a breakdown of the nationality of the dead and wounded known so far given by their respective countries.
Saudi Arabia – Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul said that Saudis were among the victims, but gave no figures. The Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper however quoted a consulate source as saying that five Saudis including two women had died and 11 other people were injured. Al-Arabiya television also spoke of five dead and nine wounded. Jordan – The foreign ministry in Amman said three Jordanians were killed and four injured, the official Petra news agency reported. Iraq – A spokesman for Iraq’s foreign ministry said that three Iraqis died in the attack. Lebanon – The Lebanese foreign ministry announced the death of three Lebanese and said another four were wounded. “I was saved by my passport which I was carrying right near my heart,” one of the injured, Francois al-Asmar, told Lebanese television from his hospital bed. Tunisia – The Tunisian foreign ministry said on its Facebook page that two Tunisians died, with media reports saying the victims were a businessman and his wife. India – India’s external affairs minister said two nationals were among the dead, naming them as Abis Rizvi, the son of a former MP, and a woman, Khushi Shah. Israel – The Israeli foreign ministry said a young Arab Israeli woman, 18-year-old Lian Nasser, had died. Belgium – Belgium’s foreign ministry confirmed that a man in his 20s, a Belgian-Turkish dual national, was killed. France – Paris said a French-Tunisian dual national woman had died along with her Tunisian husband. It was not immediately known if they were among the dead listed by Tunis. Another three French people were injured, the foreign ministry said. Libya – One Libyan was killed and three others hurt in the attack, according to the north African country’s foreign ministry. Morocco – Three Moroccans were wounded, the MAP news agency quoted the embassy in Ankara as saying.
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said today that Turkey would fight to the end against all forms of attack by terror groups and their backers.
"As a nation, we will fight to the end against not just the armed attacks of terror groups and the forces behind them, but also against their economic, political and social attacks," Erdogan said in a written statement.
"They are trying to create chaos, demoralise our people, and destabilise our country with abominable attacks which target civilians ... We will retain our cool-headedness as a nation, standing more closely together, and we will never give ground to such dirty games," he added.
Police are still hunting for the attacker who carried out the massacre before escaping into the night.
Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu said: "The search for the terrorist continues... I hope [the killer] will be captured quickly, God willing.
"This was a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery."
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has warned Brits in the country to remain “vigilant” and heed the advice of authorities.
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