In this The Daily Beast essay, Elliot Ackerman reflects on the 2015 Ankara bombing and asks what it means to feel safe while raising a family in Turkey during a period of terrorism, political instability, and regional war.
After the Ankara Bombing
Following the deadliest terrorist attack then carried out on Turkish soil, Ackerman considers whether Istanbul remains a safe place for his young children. Yet when he compares the attack with violence in Syria, Afghanistan, and the United States, no location seems entirely secure.
The Meaning of Relative Safety
Drawing on his service in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ackerman recalls the military concept of “relative safety,” the invisible boundary between danger and protection. In combat, survival could depend on staying low. In civilian life, people make similar judgments without ever knowing precisely where danger begins.
How We Perceive Risk
The essay asks why terrorism can dramatically alter our sense of security while more familiar forms of violence, including mass shootings, war, and veteran suicide, often become normalized. Predictability can create an illusion of control, while unfamiliar threats produce panic.
Turkey, Politics, and Uncertainty
Ackerman also examines the government’s media restrictions, public protests in Taksim Square, political accusations surrounding the bombing, and the likelihood of further unrest ahead of national elections.