2017:New Year Terrorist Attack in Istanbul, Turkey

A manhunt is under way for a gunman believed to have been dressed as Santa who killed at least 39 people in a New Year nightclub attack in Istanbul. Another 69 people were wounded in the armed rampage, which Istanbul's governor described as a "terrorist attack".

At least 16 foreign nationals were among the dead at the club which was popular with tourists, the Turkish interior ministry said.
The gunman killed a policeman and civilian outside the Reina nightclub before opening fire at random inside the building, packed with 600 people celebrating the New Year.

The gunman, reportedly wearing a Father Christmas outfit, remains at large.
"The search for the terrorist continues... I hope (the assailant) will be captured quickly, God willing," said interior minister Suleyman Soylu.
He added: "This was a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery."
One reveller told how she had to lift dead bodies off her to escape the building after the attack at 1.45am local time on Sunday. Other party-goers are reported to have jumped into the Bosphorus to escape the slaughter.
Television footage showed ambulances and police vehicles on the street outside the club in the Ortakoy district. Sinem Uyanik said she saw several bodies inside the club and her husband Lutfu Uyanik was wounded.
"Before I could understand what was happening, my husband fell on top me," she said.
"I had to lift several bodies from on top of me before I could get out."
Governor Vasip Sahin said: "A terrorist with a long-range weapon ... brutally and savagely ...fired bullets on innocent people.
"They (the revellers) were there solely to celebrate the New Year and have fun."
The Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) said UK tourists should follow the advice of local authorities while remaining vigilant. Attempts are being made to see whether any Britons were among the dead and injured.
The White House condemned the "horrific" attack, and the "savagery" of the attackers.
Ahead of the attack, security measures had been heightened in major Turkish cities, with police barring traffic leading up to key city squares.

In Istanbul, 17,000 police officers were on duty, some disguised as Santa Claus and others as street vendors, Anadolu reported. Ankara and Istanbul have been targeted by several attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish rebels. The attacks have killed more than 180 people