OZGUR TEKE had high hopes after Turkey’s elections in June sent the moderate, pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) to parliament for the first time. Mr Teke, who owns a small window-blind factory in the largely Kurdish city of Diyarbakir in Turkey’s east, had watched talks between the government and the HDP over a Turkish-Kurdish peace deal make hesitant progress over the course of two years. The militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was observing a ceasefire. Negotiators reached a roadmap to an agreement. Then, last month, the war between the Turkish government and the PKK suddenly reignited. “Just when a solution was appearing, it’s like someone pressed a button,” says Mr Teke.
Since late July, the sound of warplanes taking off to strike PKK bases has resounded daily over Diyarbakir. The PKK has struck back with attacks across Turkey’s south-east. At least 20 Turkish security personnel have been killed, and the violence is spreading. On August 10th in Istanbul, a policeman died in a bomb attack by Kurdish fighters, and two leftist terrorists opened fire on the American consulate.
In Diyarbakir the reigning response is dismay. “We voted for peace; instead we got war,” says one disillusioned resident. Anger has redounded on the governing Justice and Development (AK) party, which many accuse of relaunching the war in order to drum up Turkish...
from The Economist: Europe http://ift.tt/1TxxOO0
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