Erdogan sacrifices peace to entrench his own power
Turkey stepped up its campaign against the PKK on Saturday when it bombed
the Kurdish village of Zergele in Iraqi Kurdistan, killing at least six
civilians and displacing hundreds. Turkish airstrikes have targeted PKK
positions across their bases in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan since
July 24 in an intense offensive which government-linked sources claim
has killed 260 PKK militants so far. But the bombing of Zergele vilage
marks the first airstrike to have targeted civilians in Iraq, and has
led to further scrutiny of Turkey’s new policy against the Kurdish
separatists.
the Kurdish village of Zergele in Iraqi Kurdistan, killing at least six
civilians and displacing hundreds. Turkish airstrikes have targeted PKK
positions across their bases in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan since
July 24 in an intense offensive which government-linked sources claim
has killed 260 PKK militants so far. But the bombing of Zergele vilage
marks the first airstrike to have targeted civilians in Iraq, and has
led to further scrutiny of Turkey’s new policy against the Kurdish
separatists.
Zergele, a village high
up in the Qandil region, had become symbolic for an altogether different
reason. Back in March 2013, when the PKK declared a ceasefire and the
peace process supposedly began, Zergele was the village where the PKK
handed over their last Turkish prisoners to a Turkish delegation. Eight
prisoners, six of them Turkish soldiers, were released as a gesture
towards peace. The senior PKK commander who was in charge of handing
over PKK’s remaining prisoners, Heval Dersim, said:
“Today we are handing these eight men to the Turkish government on the
orders of Abdullah Öcalan. This is a humanitarian gesture and proof of
our good will toward peace between Ankara and ourselves.”
up in the Qandil region, had become symbolic for an altogether different
reason. Back in March 2013, when the PKK declared a ceasefire and the
peace process supposedly began, Zergele was the village where the PKK
handed over their last Turkish prisoners to a Turkish delegation. Eight
prisoners, six of them Turkish soldiers, were released as a gesture
towards peace. The senior PKK commander who was in charge of handing
over PKK’s remaining prisoners, Heval Dersim, said:
“Today we are handing these eight men to the Turkish government on the
orders of Abdullah Öcalan. This is a humanitarian gesture and proof of
our good will toward peace between Ankara and ourselves.”
Fearful of Kurdish electoral
gains in Turkey and military advances in Syria, Erdogan pushes for war
with the PKK to secure his own political future.
gains in Turkey and military advances in Syria, Erdogan pushes for war
with the PKK to secure his own political future.
Clashes in the Istanbul district of Gazi on July 26, 2015 (by Fulya Ozerkan).
