Once again, there was relative radio silence in response to a deadly terror attack on a predominantly Muslim country.
While there was an outpouring of international solidarity following last year's terrorist attacks in Paris, which killed almost 130 people, and March's terrorist attacks in Brussels, which killed more than 30, the response to the suicide bombing on Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Tuesday, which killed 41 and injured another 239, was decidedly less impressive.
Advertisement
Only a handful of countries paid tribute by lighting up buildings or monuments in Turkish flag colors:
Advertisement
The Empire State Building remained dark on Wednesday night, but the World Trade Center, which lit up in Belgium's and France's flag colors after their attacks, did not light up in Turkish colors.
(The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be lit up in Turkish colors Wednesday, but due to a technical difficulty the tribute was rescheduled for Thursday.)
And the absence of vigils honoring the dead was astounding.
The Union of European Football Associations said it would not hold a moment of silence during the Euro 2016 quarterfinals because Turkey had already been eliminated from the series, Associated Press reporter Rob Harris tweeted.
UEFA: No minute's silence for Istanbul airport victims at #EURO2016 quarterfinals
While Facebook turned on its safety check feature, which allows users to mark themselves as safe during a crisis, it did not provide a filter that lets users easily modify their profile picture with an overlay of the Turkish flag, as they did with the French flag after the Paris attacks.
The below illustration aptly summed up the sentiment:
I'm so heartbroken to hear about the attack in Istanbul, Turkey. This image is so sad, but so true. pic.twitter.com/TTUJB7bemC
A Facebook post that went viral after a deadly bombing in Ankara, Turkey's capital, in March highlighted the disturbing reality that the outpouring of support in the wake of an attack in Turkey was significantly more muted than it was after the attacks in Paris or Brussels.
The author, James Taylor, asked readers to think about the victims being “people you see every day on your way to work, people just like you and I, normal, happy people.”
Advertisement
“These people are no different. They just happen to be Turkish,” he wrote.
This story has been updated to note that the Eiffel Tower was scheduled to be lit up in Turkish flag colors, and the Empire State Building was scheduled to remain dark on Wednesay night.
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.