Turkey on verge of civil war
(VOV) - Conflicts between the Turkish army and Kurdish armed forces are escalating. The conflicts are undermining efforts to restore peace and could spark a civil war in Turkey.
Over the last 4 days, Turkey mobilized 10,000 troops for operations in Cizre and Silopi, two southern cities that border Syria and Iraq. In its latest move, Turkey launched an offensive involving Turkish army and police in southeast Turkey that killed 102 Kurd militia.
The Turkish army also mobilized F16 fighters to destroy a Kurd stronghold in northern Iraq. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said campaigns against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) would continue until peace is restored.
The conflict between the Turkish army and the Kurds has been going on for a long time but it has intensified since PKK unilaterally withdrew from the cease fire agreement in July.
When the Justice and Development Party of Turkey won the general election there in early November, President Erdogan announced military actions to wipe out Kurdish insurgents.
The People’s Defense Units (YPG) and the Kurdish insurgents in Turkey and Iraq launched two uprisings demanding independence but both failed.
The conflict between the Turkish government and its political opponents is now intensifying. The opposition has criticized the ruling Party for failing to resolve the refugee crisis and for the government’s support for the opposition in Syria.
The Turkish government has also been accused of indirectly supporting IS. Turkey’s open policy has allowed new IS members to transit via Turkey to Syria. The Kurds in Syria have accused Ankara of using the fight against IS as an excuse to attack the areas they control.
The Kurd insurgents are switching from guerilla tactics to confronting government forces directly. If PKK forces in the cities are equipped with advanced anti-tank weapons, the nature of the armed conflict is likely to change drastically.
An all-out war will threaten civilians and could engulf the entire region. The US and Russia have mobilized the Kurd insurgents in their operations against IS.
Sources say the US army is equipping the Kurd militia in northern Iraq with ammunition to fight IS. Russia is also supporting the Kurd militia. This poses a serious threat to Turkey’s security.