Erdogan’s Cynical Game: Is Turkey Creeping Toward Civil War?

Fellow NATO members have long urged Turkey to take action against the Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq. Turkey now allows the United States to use some of its military bases to launch air strikes against the extremists. Reports suggest that Turkish air strikes are also targeting Kurd holdings, which in turn prompts protests in Turkey. Likewise, Turkey may be using a protective zone along its border to prevent smuggling routes for the extremists and prevent the Kurds from consolidating power. The Kurds, victims of Islamic State attacks, have been praised for standing against the extremists on the ground. Erdogan had reached a ceasefire with the Kurds in 2013. After his party failed to win a majority in June elections, with a Kurdish party winning 10 percent, he was forced to form a coalition government by August 23 or call for a new election. This article in Spiegel Online argues that Erdogan is using the conflict to convince voters that his party alone can handle the many conflicts. With conflict escalating in southeastern Turkey, some fear a civil war. – YaleGlobal