Vjeruje se da al-Kaida stoji iza nekoliko velikih napada u Istanbulu, između ostalih i četiri kamiona-bombe u novembru 2003, na čijoj meti su bili britanski konzulat, tursko sjedište banke HSBC i dvije sinagoge, pri čemu je poginulo 57, a ranjeno na stotine lica.
Al-Qaeda is believed to have been behind several high-profile attacks in Istanbul, including four truck bombs in November 2003, targeting the British Consulate, the Turkish headquarters of HSBC bank and two synagogues, killing 57 people and wounding hundreds.