MESOP : ERDOGAN & FUTURE OF PKK

Just one day after Turkish elections on Sunday reaffirmed the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP’s) command of parliament, the Turkish military commenced a new series of airstrikes on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters, including strikes on PKK bases in Iraq. PKK officials told the Wall Street Journal that the resumption of airstrikes on Monday demonstrates that the Turkish government is not interested in peace talks. Turkey has been fighting PKK forces since a two-year ceasefire broke down over the summer. At least 150 Turkish military personnel and hundreds of PKK fighters have been killed in the fighting.
In addition to airstrikes, the Turkish military has imposed a curfew in parts of southeastern Diyarbakir province. In the town of Silvan, the PKK has dug trenches to hinder Turkish military access to neighborhoods affected by the curfew. Unrest is not limited to Kurdish-majority regions, though: After the election on Sunday, security forces broke up a pro-Kurdish protest in Ankara.