Metin Gurcan, an Istanbul based security analyst, told the BBC that it is proving difficult for Turkey to deal with fighting the two fights it is currently engaged in.

He says: "First one is the fight against PKK, the secular leftist Kurdish anti-nationalist armed group, now a state actor.

"And the second fight is the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS).

"How can you allocate resources and capacity?

"This is, I think, the grave question the decision makers right now in Turkey have been asking.

"Which one of these should be prioritised, the fight against the PKK or the fight against IS?"

Because the people who died were mainly civilians, the finger of blame for this attack is being pointed at IS. But the motive for the attack is not yet clear and the gunman has not been apprehended.