Erdogan and PKK Continue Fighting: What is the Reason?

• 09.08.2015, 17:18
•  Near East,  World

Turkish authorities continue bombing the positions of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Dozens of Turkish warplanes struck militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq, killing tens of the group's fighters, a security source told Reuters. Two government officials said more than 40 jets took part in the strikes. The security source said F-16 and F-4 jets took part in the air operation hitting areas around the PKK's bases in Qandil, Basyan Avashin and Zap. It is noted that more than 40 fighters were killed.

This is the way the leadership responds to PKK latest attack which killed more than 16 Turkish soldiers. However, PKK is not going to give up. Twelve Turkish police were killed in the eastern region of Igdir in a bomb attack by PKK on a minibus taking them to the Dilucu border post with neighboring Azerbaijan, Agence France Presse reports. This is the second deadliest attack by the PKK during the recent few years.

Turkish opposition blames Erdogan and his government for taking the country into such violence. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held a meeting with Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıcdaroglu. The CHP leader voiced his concerns over the attacks and rising violence in the country, Hurriyet reports. However, the complaints do not stop.

Analysts discuss the reasons that caused the PKK activation in this way, noting the readiness of PKK to involve in political process with the Turkish authorities. Some analysts say that PKK does not only reply to Turkey’s leadership, but wants to send a message to the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party that PKK must have a dominated role among Kurds and must share the political power that the Kurdish party gained during the latest elections.

Murat Aksoy in his article considers the possibility of the option that some of the terrorist attacks were committed by forces acting in the name of the PKK rather than the PKK itself. He does not exclude that "the escalated terrorism may be a controlled violence by the state and the PKK".

As for Erdogan plans, analysts say the aim of the Justice and Development Party is to use the threats to national security and gain more voices during the upcoming elections.