Istanbul's Ataturk Airport was hit by a string of terror attacks Wednesday morning. Three suicidal terrorists, armed with guns and bombs, killed at least 41 people and hurt 239, most of whom are Turks. According to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, all signs point to the Islamic State (IS).

Since the second half of 2015, Turkey has been severely afflicted by extreme terrorism. Terror attacks were mainly blamed on the Kurdish opposition and the IS. The sudden wave of terrorism poses challenges to Turkey's domestic and foreign policies.

Turkey is one of the most secular Islamic countries in the Middle East. As a NATO member, Ankara has been making unremitting efforts to join the EU. With a population of over 70 million, Turkey is relatively developed among non-oil rich countries in the Middle East. It is also a member of the G20, and last year's G20 summit was held in its coastal city of Antalya.

However, the nation is next to trouble spots in the Middle East, sharing a long border with both Iraq and Syria. The previous geopolitical pattern in the region has been upset by anti-terrorism wars and the Arab Spring, exerting increasingly evident negative effects on Turkey. With a tendency toward Islamization, Turkey is hot-headed in handling its foreign relations. It has a cooler relationship with the West now, and is stuck in a stalemate with Moscow after shooting down a Russian jet last year, not to mention its broken relationship with Bashar Assad's regime. In contrast, Ankara has taken an ambiguous attitude to the IS, triggering overwhelming controversies.

But the Turkish-Russian relationship has seen an unexpected improvement recently. Ankara has just apologized for last year's downing of a Russian jet claimed it would compensate Moscow's losses. Turkey also normalized its diplomatic relations with Israel. Given that those adjustments happened without any omens or transition, it is hence unknown whether they will trigger other repercussions.

Sino-Turkish ties are generally in good shape. Ankara welcomes Beijing's One Belt and One Road initiative. Yet on the other hand, Turkey has been making complaints about China's anti-terror campaigns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and about Beijing's ethnic policies every once in a while. There are certain forces in Turkey with a pan-Turkist mentality, who have been providing aid for a very few Xinjiang residents to illegally immigrate to the Middle East.

Terrorism is an enemy of the entire human race. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the world after the latest tragedy to take a firm stance against terrorism. This is arguably a very positive signal in Turkey.

Terrorists, no matter where they are, are only a very small number of people. Yet there are profound reasons for the existence of terrorism in different parts of the world. If the globe can genuinely become united in fighting against terrorists, and if public opinion in different nations can all condemn terrorism indiscriminately, at least we can contain the spread of terrorism. 

Terrorism has been rampant. Although the world is ramping up efforts to crack down on terrorism, it can always find its place and even set up a "base" like the Islamic State. The reason is that some countries have their own geopolitical considerations; they hope the rest of the world could support their own anti-terror campaigns, but adopt an ambiguous attitude toward terrorism in other countries. China has suffered enormously from such "double standards." It supports anti-terror efforts in all countries, while terrorism in Xinjiang is often viewed by the West as "ethnic resistance."

Istanbul is part of Europe. The serious attack in the airport sounds another alarm to Europe. Terrorism in Europe in the past two years has been surging. The strike on the European configuration brought about by Brexit may serve as another chance for terrorists.

Turkey is an important pathway for Middle Eastern refugees to Europe. It is a buffer zone between the chaotic Middle East and Europe. If Turkey becomes a hotbed for terrorism, it will be a nightmare for all of Europe and the whole world. In a civilized world, the only option for all countries is to discard past divergences and support the Turkish government to tackle terrorism.