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| A Sense of Instability Settles Over Turkey as Conflict With Kurds Flares | A Sense of Instability Settles Over Turkey as Conflict With Kurds Flares |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| ISTANBUL — Nationalist and pro-government throngs filled the streets of Istanbul and Ankara for two nights last week, chanting “God is great” as they stormed a prominent newspaper and set fire to the offices of a Kurdish political party. | |
| Turkey’s economy, long an emerging market darling, has cooled, and the value of the Turkish lira slips by the day. Cruise ships have stopped docking in Istanbul, and many residents avoid the subway because of bomb threats. | Turkey’s economy, long an emerging market darling, has cooled, and the value of the Turkish lira slips by the day. Cruise ships have stopped docking in Istanbul, and many residents avoid the subway because of bomb threats. |
| A sense of unease is spreading in Turkey as the decades-old conflict flares between Kurdish militants and Turkish security forces in the volatile southeast. Fears are growing that the country could return to the dark days of the 1990s, when the conflict was at its height. | A sense of unease is spreading in Turkey as the decades-old conflict flares between Kurdish militants and Turkish security forces in the volatile southeast. Fears are growing that the country could return to the dark days of the 1990s, when the conflict was at its height. |
| The upheaval in major cities has prompted Turks, especially Kurds, to share pictures on social media comparing their own cities to ravaged areas in Syria. | The upheaval in major cities has prompted Turks, especially Kurds, to share pictures on social media comparing their own cities to ravaged areas in Syria. |
| In recent years, Turkey has sought to influence and shape the Middle East, portraying itself as everything the region is not: democratic, prosperous and safe. But economic and political instability are deepening before the interim government holds a snap election in November — the country’s third national poll in a little over a year. | In recent years, Turkey has sought to influence and shape the Middle East, portraying itself as everything the region is not: democratic, prosperous and safe. But economic and political instability are deepening before the interim government holds a snap election in November — the country’s third national poll in a little over a year. |
| Critics say Turkey’s military campaign against the Kurds is part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strategy of stoking nationalist sentiment to help his Islamist Justice and Development Party, or A.K.P., regain the parliamentary majority it lost in the June 7 election. | Critics say Turkey’s military campaign against the Kurds is part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strategy of stoking nationalist sentiment to help his Islamist Justice and Development Party, or A.K.P., regain the parliamentary majority it lost in the June 7 election. |
| “Right now, the tracks beneath us are shaking, and the country is on the verge of being derailed,” said Kudrettin Terzioglu, 52, who sells lottery tickets outside the main courthouse here, where a prominent prosecutor was killed this year by a Marxist group that claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at the American Embassy in Ankara in 2013. | “Right now, the tracks beneath us are shaking, and the country is on the verge of being derailed,” said Kudrettin Terzioglu, 52, who sells lottery tickets outside the main courthouse here, where a prominent prosecutor was killed this year by a Marxist group that claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at the American Embassy in Ankara in 2013. |
| “We’re on the brink of civil war, we have no stable government, the economy is a mess and there are no jobs,” he added. | “We’re on the brink of civil war, we have no stable government, the economy is a mess and there are no jobs,” he added. |
| In a cafe in the central Besiktas district of Istanbul, tears trickled down Tuba Kent’s face as she watched televised images of family members clinging to the coffins of soldiers killed in the Sept. 6 bomb attack by Kurdish rebels. | In a cafe in the central Besiktas district of Istanbul, tears trickled down Tuba Kent’s face as she watched televised images of family members clinging to the coffins of soldiers killed in the Sept. 6 bomb attack by Kurdish rebels. |
| “For now, people in Istanbul are throwing rocks, beating their enemies with sticks and setting buildings on fire,” said Ms. Kent, 36, a manicurist. “But we are one step away from holding our own funerals.” | |
| Across the street, tourists waited in line to enter the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce Palace, where Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, spent the last days of his life. Usually bustling with sightseers, the palace was noticeably quieter. | Across the street, tourists waited in line to enter the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce Palace, where Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, spent the last days of his life. Usually bustling with sightseers, the palace was noticeably quieter. |
| Attendance is down since militants set off explosives several weeks ago and shot at police officers guarding the palace. The attackers were later identified as belonging to the Marxist group known as the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, which had its heyday during the Cold War. | Attendance is down since militants set off explosives several weeks ago and shot at police officers guarding the palace. The attackers were later identified as belonging to the Marxist group known as the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, which had its heyday during the Cold War. |
| “After hearing about the incident, a lot of friends canceled their entire trip to Turkey,” said Gemma Haighton, a visitor from London waiting outside the palace. “We were originally a group of 13, but only three of us ended up coming.” | “After hearing about the incident, a lot of friends canceled their entire trip to Turkey,” said Gemma Haighton, a visitor from London waiting outside the palace. “We were originally a group of 13, but only three of us ended up coming.” |
| Just this month, the United States government issued a travel warning for Turkey, causing some cruise ship companies to cancel all overnight stops in Istanbul. | Just this month, the United States government issued a travel warning for Turkey, causing some cruise ship companies to cancel all overnight stops in Istanbul. |
| The instability has been costly for Turkey’s tourism industry, with revenue sliding by almost 14 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to government figures. | The instability has been costly for Turkey’s tourism industry, with revenue sliding by almost 14 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to government figures. |
| The mounting security concerns come after the collapse in July of the two-year cease-fire between rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Turkish state. Adding to that are increased threats and attacks from the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front and the Islamic State, the Sunni militant group believed to be responsible for a suicide bombing that killed more than 30 young Kurdish activists in the southern city of Suruc in July. | The mounting security concerns come after the collapse in July of the two-year cease-fire between rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Turkish state. Adding to that are increased threats and attacks from the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front and the Islamic State, the Sunni militant group believed to be responsible for a suicide bombing that killed more than 30 young Kurdish activists in the southern city of Suruc in July. |
| Critics of Mr. Erdogan say the instability may well play to his advantage, however, and allow him to persuade the public to again vote for single-party government. In fact, he is campaigning on it: According to the pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah, the party’s slogan for the election will be “Vote A.K.P. for stability.” | Critics of Mr. Erdogan say the instability may well play to his advantage, however, and allow him to persuade the public to again vote for single-party government. In fact, he is campaigning on it: According to the pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah, the party’s slogan for the election will be “Vote A.K.P. for stability.” |
| The party’s loss after more than a decade in power came as the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party gained representation in Parliament, a first for any Kurdish party. Since Mr. Erdogan called for an early election last month, at least 180 buildings belonging to the Kurdish party have been attacked by mobs that have accused the Peoples’ Democratic Party of being collaborators with the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. | The party’s loss after more than a decade in power came as the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party gained representation in Parliament, a first for any Kurdish party. Since Mr. Erdogan called for an early election last month, at least 180 buildings belonging to the Kurdish party have been attacked by mobs that have accused the Peoples’ Democratic Party of being collaborators with the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. |
| The escalation in violence has left many wondering whether a credible election can be held in the southeast. | The escalation in violence has left many wondering whether a credible election can be held in the southeast. |
| “It’s becoming impossible to hold an election given the security situation in the region,” Selahattin Demirtas, the co-chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, said last week at a news conference in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. | “It’s becoming impossible to hold an election given the security situation in the region,” Selahattin Demirtas, the co-chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, said last week at a news conference in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. |
| Fearing worse violence, some Istanbul residents have started to vary their routines, avoiding crowded places and public transportation at peak times. | Fearing worse violence, some Istanbul residents have started to vary their routines, avoiding crowded places and public transportation at peak times. |
| “It feels like we’ve been dragged into the greater regional war, and under such circumstances a large-scale attack on Istanbul is imminent,” said Menekse Tekbas, 48, an accountant who was riding the subway recently. | “It feels like we’ve been dragged into the greater regional war, and under such circumstances a large-scale attack on Istanbul is imminent,” said Menekse Tekbas, 48, an accountant who was riding the subway recently. |
| “This is all I think about when I’m in a crowded spot like this,” she added. “I’m always looking out for suspicious people and packages.” | “This is all I think about when I’m in a crowded spot like this,” she added. “I’m always looking out for suspicious people and packages.” |
| In the Sultanhamet district, Istanbul’s old city and home to some of its most breathtaking landmarks, many tour operators and businesses complain of a “tourism drought.” | In the Sultanhamet district, Istanbul’s old city and home to some of its most breathtaking landmarks, many tour operators and businesses complain of a “tourism drought.” |
| “With every bomb that goes off in the southeast comes an email or a phone call from a client asking for a refund,” said Yusuf Karaca, 52, the owner of Karaca Tur, a tour operator. | “With every bomb that goes off in the southeast comes an email or a phone call from a client asking for a refund,” said Yusuf Karaca, 52, the owner of Karaca Tur, a tour operator. |
| On a recent day, a friend stormed into his office, lamenting the funeral of fallen soldiers he had just seen on television. | On a recent day, a friend stormed into his office, lamenting the funeral of fallen soldiers he had just seen on television. |
| “Damn those terrorists, and damn the man who dragged this country into war for his own political agenda,” said the man, Ahmet, who provided only his first name out of fear that he would be punished for insulting the president. | “Damn those terrorists, and damn the man who dragged this country into war for his own political agenda,” said the man, Ahmet, who provided only his first name out of fear that he would be punished for insulting the president. |