Turkey

By Alpaslan Ozerdem | (The Conversation) | – – Armed attacks on the US consulate and a police station are the latest in a wave of bloody violence in Turkey that has now reached Istanbul. They are just two violent incidents to take place in the past few weeks, all of which appear to have […]

Iraq

Controversy: Did Turkish anti-PKK Airstrikes hit civilian Kurdish village of Zargeli?

contributors

BBC | (Video News Report) | – – “Turkey may have joined the air war against Islamic State militants across the border in Syria. The nation has also been taking action against Kurdish fighters that it accuses of launching attacks within Turkey. One such airstrike took place last Saturday over the border in Iraq, where […]

Counter-Terrorism

Turkey’s AKP strikes back: the Politics of attacking both KurdS & ISIL

contributors

By Tristan Dunning – (The Conversation) – – Tristan Dunning, The University of Queensland Stemming from a presumed Islamic State (IS) suicide bombing killing 32 leftist Kurdish university students in Suruc and the killing of several Turkish policeman claimed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkey has begun bombarding both IS forces in Syria and […]

Featured

Another Bush Legacy in Iraq: Barzani asks PKK to Leave

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – On Sunday morning, Kurdish separatist guerrillas launched a suicide-bombing strike on Turkish forces in Angri province, using a tractor laden with explosives. On Saturday, the president of the Kurdistan Regional government of northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani, condemned the Turkish airstrikes on Iraq and asked the PKK […]

al-Qaeda

Syria’s al-Qaeda captures US-Linked Free Syrian Army Commander, troops

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The 30th Infantry Division of the moderate Free Syrian Army says that the al-Qaeda-linked Support Front captured one of its commanders and several troops the day before yesterday. Some 56 members of Division 30 were among the 70 fighters so far trained in a multi-million dollar […]

Kurds

Turkey opens up old wounds with a new campaign against the PKK

contributors

By Cengiz Gunes | (The Conversation) | – – The recent surge of violence in Turkey following the massacre of socialist activists in Suruc has brought Turkey perilously close to an all-out conflict with the Kurds. Turkey has begun regular air strikes targeting the bases of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerrillas as part of […]

Kurds

Did Turkish Pres. Erdogan Make a Historic mistake in dumping Peace Process with Kurds?

contributors

by **JULIE POUCHER HARBIN, EDITOR, ISLAMiCommentary, with KUBILAY YADO ARIN UPDATE ON TUESDAY JULY 28: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Ankara could not continue the peace process with the Kurds amid continuing attacks against Turkish targets. As Turkish and U.S. officials reportedly worked on a plan to create a safe-zone by […]

Featured

Turkish Tanks Shell Syrian Kurds who expelled ISIL from Zur Maghar

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Syrian Kurds and the British based Syrian Observatory said Monday that Turkish tanks had shelled the village of Zur Maghar near Kobani on the Syrian side of the border held by the YPG [People’s Protection Unit] leftist Kurdish militia. Four of its fighters were wounded. The […]

Featured

Turkey’s new “war on terror” mainly targeting Kurds

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – What was at first announced as a new Turkish turn toward attacks on Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) on Friday has quickly become largely a campaign against Kurds instead. It is being alleged that the Turkish Air Force launched dozens of strikes against bases of the Kurdistan Workers […]