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Turkey-PKK conflict: Why are clashes escalating? | |
(34 minutes later) | |
Turkey has imposed curfews and boosted security in its mainly Kurdish south-east, amid political turmoil over PKK Kurdish rebel attacks. | Turkey has imposed curfews and boosted security in its mainly Kurdish south-east, amid political turmoil over PKK Kurdish rebel attacks. |
Turkish nationalists were enraged by a bomb blast on Sunday that killed 16 soldiers, then a rebel ambush that killed 14 police officers in a van - both incidents in the east. | Turkish nationalists were enraged by a bomb blast on Sunday that killed 16 soldiers, then a rebel ambush that killed 14 police officers in a van - both incidents in the east. |
It is a major escalation of ethnic tensions, putting in jeopardy fresh parliamentary elections scheduled for 1 November. | It is a major escalation of ethnic tensions, putting in jeopardy fresh parliamentary elections scheduled for 1 November. |
The pro-Kurdish HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) accused the ruling AKP and Turkish intelligence of orchestrating more than 400 attacks on its offices. | The pro-Kurdish HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) accused the ruling AKP and Turkish intelligence of orchestrating more than 400 attacks on its offices. |
The HDP headquarters in Ankara was gutted by fire after a crowd attacked it. | The HDP headquarters in Ankara was gutted by fire after a crowd attacked it. |
Turkish nationalists see the HDP as the political wing of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) - a claim vehemently denied by the HDP. | Turkish nationalists see the HDP as the political wing of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) - a claim vehemently denied by the HDP. |
Since a ceasefire collapsed in July, deadly clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK have intensified. | Since a ceasefire collapsed in July, deadly clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK have intensified. |
Turkish jets bombed PKK bases in northern Iraq and the army launched a ground operation. | Turkish jets bombed PKK bases in northern Iraq and the army launched a ground operation. |
Spillover from Syria | Spillover from Syria |
The HDP accuses Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of whipping up nationalist feelings in an attempt to engineer the majority that his AK Party needs to rule. | The HDP accuses Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of whipping up nationalist feelings in an attempt to engineer the majority that his AK Party needs to rule. |
The HDP's success in the June election - winning more than 13% of the vote - denied the AKP a majority. And the AKP's efforts to form a new coalition collapsed. | The HDP's success in the June election - winning more than 13% of the vote - denied the AKP a majority. And the AKP's efforts to form a new coalition collapsed. |
There is a bigger geopolitical dimension to the latest tensions. | There is a bigger geopolitical dimension to the latest tensions. |
Many Kurds were angered by Turkey's failure to help Kurdish fighters in the battle for Kobane in northern Syria. After months of heavy fighting the Kurdish YPG group pushed so-called Islamic State (IS) militants out of the border town in late June. | Many Kurds were angered by Turkey's failure to help Kurdish fighters in the battle for Kobane in northern Syria. After months of heavy fighting the Kurdish YPG group pushed so-called Islamic State (IS) militants out of the border town in late June. |
On 20 July a suicide bombing killed 32 people - mostly Kurdish youth activists - in Suruc, a Turkish town not far from Kobane. | On 20 July a suicide bombing killed 32 people - mostly Kurdish youth activists - in Suruc, a Turkish town not far from Kobane. |
That fuelled a Kurdish belief that Turkey was avoiding action against IS because the Islamist extremists were a useful tool to prevent the YPG and PKK linking up along its border. | That fuelled a Kurdish belief that Turkey was avoiding action against IS because the Islamist extremists were a useful tool to prevent the YPG and PKK linking up along its border. |