Security at Ataturk Airport Tougher Than Most
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: The closing bell is ringing on Wall Street. He's doing his duty tonight. Look at it he's got his hand there. He's ready and raring to go. For good reason, the market is up very sharply. I'll have the numbers for you. I've got a good feeling about this. Yes, there we go. A firm robust gavel for good reason. The market's up more than 1.5 percent. It is Wednesday. It's the 29th of June. In Turkey tonight, of course, the investigation still continues into the attack of the country's biggest airport and the airport's chief executive tells me the terrorists blasted their way through security. The EU leaders are sending a message to Britain. A la cart Europe is off the menu. And crisis, what crises? British stocks seem to be back to pre- Brexit levels. I'm Richard Quest live in London where, of course, I mean business. Good evening. We will have our business agenda for you in just a moment, but we must, of course, start with the deadly terror attack at one of the busiest airports in Europe. Istanbul out of Turkey. The airport is back up and running tonight even though three suicide bombers opened fire and blew themselves up less than 24 hours ago. Explosions rocked the main international terminal on Tuesday night, 41 people died, 239 were injured. More than 128 people are still in hospital. No claims of responsibility. The Turkish officials say this is all the hallmarks of an ISIS terror attack. Hala Gorani has just required at Ataturk Airport and she joins me know. Hala, in the short period you've been there, do you share, for want of a better word, extraordinary amazement that this airport is up and running again so fast when you remember what happened in Brussels?</s>HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR, THE WORLD RIGHT NOW: Right, and flights starting landing at 2:20 a.m. local. So we navigated really through those areas that were hit by at least two devastating suicide bombings. Not exactly, of course, where all the damage was done, but certainly nearby. When you arrive in the area where taxi drivers and tour operators gather to greet people and relatives and loved ones, it is absolutely packed and bustling. So it's extremely remarkable that so soon after the attacks, very much unlike Brussels, you have a business airport that is functioning almost as much as normal. And some forensics experts have said to us that they believe that perhaps all of this has reopened too soon. That may be there would could be evidence that could be compromised here. We're getting more information on the nationality of the victims. Now of course the majority here were Turks, but at least 13 were foreigners. We understand, according to government sources, among them five Saudi Arabian's, two Iraqis, there was a Tunisian as well, a Chinese citizen, someone from Jordan, and China as well. This really is a reflection of the kind of international hub that Ataturk International Airport is. It's the 11th busiest airport in the world and closing it for an extended period of time like the authorities in Brussels did, might not have been workable, but at the same time resuming business as usual as quickly as they did certainly raise some eyebrows. As far as how the attackers pull it off -- underlining there's no claiming of responsibility -- suspicion is directed toward ISIS. They did not have to go through an extra added layer of security to get to the arrivals hall and greet loved ones and relatives. So that's potentially how two of the three attackers were able to get inside the building, Richard.</s>QUEST: Right, so just to clarify on that, Hala, because we're going hear from the chief executive of the airport in a moment or two, if you can hear me, Hala. So you're saying, two of them did go via the arrival section, not the departure section where there is that extra layer of x-rays. That's what we believe happened.</s>GORANI: Those are some of the reports we're getting. Initially there was a report was said that one of the three detonated in a parking lot in order to create confusion so that the two others could go in. One at the departures hall, one at the arrival hall. Now it appears as though perhaps the third one -- and I don't know in what sequence of events this happened -- it might've been closer to the arrivals hall then we initially thought. I'm sure the chief executive will have more clarity for you on that. But what's important to note is based on CTV footage that we've seen at least two were signed the building. How did they get there? What kind of confusion did they create and chaos did they create to get in there? It seems as though based on some of the descriptions that we're getting, that at least one of them panicked a bit and blew himself up before he could start mowing people down with his AK-47. So there was some ineptitude there. But really the important thing to take away from all of this, Richard, this is a soft target. All you need is one of these weapons and the intent to kill and you will kill dozens of people. So how do you protect an airport like this? I'm very interested in hearing your interview with the chief executive of the airport here.</s>QUEST: Hala Gorani, thank you so much. Hala, who is at Ataturk will be there. We'll talk with you later. The attackers were able to overcome security and the way they did it was by beginning their assault outside the terminal building. The first attacker entered the departure hall and as he did so, he took out his AK-47. This is the departure hall area, that's here. You have an idea of the three different areas. As he comes in as the level one entrance, the police officer shot him. This is the police officer that thought he looked suspicious, and went to challenge him challenged him, and shot him, and he detonated his bomb while he was lying on the floor. The second blew himself up before passing through the security entrance. The third bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the arrival hall at the lower level. So you get an idea. The chief executive of the group that operates Istanbul Ataturk Airport, said this was a different kind of attack. Sani Sener joining me on the line, and told me the bombers were able to get into the terminal despite some of the toughest security measures possible.</s>SANI SENER, CEO TAV GROUP: Due to the sensitivity in our region our security levels are much higher than the international standards. Ataturk airport is the last point of departure for many U.S. and European airports. And because of this reason, our security standards comply with U.S. and EU security standards. On top of it, we have security checkpoints at the entrance at the terminal buildings in Turkey. So from the point of view of security measures everything was in place.</s>QUEST: The way in which they were able to get in, you say this was because they basically gunned and fought their way in. They shot their way in.</s>SENER: Exactly. Exactly. There are security checkpoints in our airport entrance. But these security checkpoints with x-rays and they have guards there. But they directly attack the terminal building and attacked the security points.</s>QUEST: This raises an entirely doesn't different and very troublesome set of circumstances. Because it means that even in an airport like Ataturk, which has a very high level of security against bombers they were able to get in weren't they?</s>SENER: Yes. Actually the perimeter of the security, which we can extend. We extend it to the airports. We extend it to security at the entrance. What we could not extend security perimeter to the whole city. And this is what we could do and you're right. It was a different kind of attack. They attacked the airport. The airport was under attack.</s>QUEST: What would you do differently now, bearing in mind the complexity of this issue?</s>SENER: In our airport we have two kinds of security. One is the private security, which belongs to us, the airport operator. The other one is the state security officers. So the state security is responsible for the security of all the airports. We have the proprietary airport and the other is the security officers. So the state security is responsible for the security of all airports. They're taking now precautions in the entrance of the airport. So they're checking all the cars and passengers entering to the airport. So as much has been the entrance, we continue to make our security with the higher levels.</s>QUEST: The CEO of Ataturk airport. Joining me now via Skype from Madrid is Taleb Rifai, the Secretary-General of the U.N. World Tourism Organization. Secretary-general, you and I have talked far too many times where tourists, where passengers, the traveling public have been bombed, blown up, and murdered. And there is no obvious or easy solution, is there?</s>TALEB RIFAI, SECRETARY-GENERAL, U.N.  WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (via Skype): It doesn't seem to be, Richard. It's very sad that were talking too often, but it's a pleasure to be talking with you. But what happen yesterday also just proves that what we're always talk about, which is that we need to be together in this. We can't be alone. We can't isolate the destinations. We have to cooperate together.</s>QUEST: What does that mean in reality, bearing in mind in this situation where the gunmen start off with -- well, the terrorists start off with Kalashnikovs and then blow themselves, it's difficult to say you can have a parameter short of searching everybody as they get to the airport. And that's just not practical.</s>RIFAI: Richard, I'm not a security expert and I don't find myself very comfortable going into the details that you're by far much more experienced in it than I am. I'm saying there are two things that happened that are very, very promising in some ways. Some sad situations can result in some positive aspects. First of all, the speed within which the Turkish authorities were able to open the airport. Actually defeated the terrorists. What they wanted to do was to cripple forever the Turkish economy and forever throw a strong bank to this airport. They were not able to do this. In less than 24 hours, the airport is up and running and everybody is going there with much activity as there was before. But the second very important development that's happened yesterday and this afternoon is the fact that the Russian government declared that it no more is insisting on a travel ban to Turkey. It's the best reaction that any government could make in face of attacks like this. It's absolutely crucial and important that we do not victimize and punish the victim and reward the aggressor. That's exactly what is happening now, which is excellent because we are reacting to it the correct way.</s>QUEST: Do you have any thoughts about whether there needs to be some form of -- some sort of meeting, some sort of bringing together of tourism executives and officials to really examine how to handle these existential crises when it comes to terrorism?</s>RIFAI: We're already doing that, Richard. You're absolutely correct. If you think about it, what's been targeted so far have been airports, hotels, beaches, restaurants, places where people gather. They're all tourism targets. We are at the forefront of this fight, Richard. That's why we're always calling and have succeed finally bringing together parties that are in charge of tourism, private sector, and security officers. We need do this together. Tourism officials and tourism stakeholders must have a seat on the table. They cannot just be spectators the all of this.</s>QUEST: Taleb, thank you for joining us, secretary-general. As I always say to you in these circumstances, we should speak on happier circumstances. Thank you, sir. And I need to bring you some video that's just arrived at CNN. I'm afraid it shows one of the terrorists in the attack. The close circuit television shows the terrorist running through the airport pointing his assault rifle during the attack. The man then later blew himself up. Some news happening in the last few moments. I'm going to quickly go through these news lines. President Obama says that the Brexit process does not have to be one of panic. The U.S. President says the leadership issues will have to be resolved for Brexit to happen efficiently, and he promises that the U.S. will help in any way they can. All the way the council president, Donald Tusk, says there will be no single market a la cart and Angela Merkel says the U.K. can go cherry picking. Britain is remaking its relationship with the European Union.