Erdogan's Kurdish Dilemma
Morton Abramowitz, Omer Zarpli
September 9, 2013
Arab states are disintegrating, and their Kurds are emerging as one of the few winners in the Middle East’s turmoil. All this is increasing pressures on Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to somehow solve Turkey’s own massive Kurdish issue now or later face a seriously deteriorating internal problem. Indeed, unless Assad were to fall, finding a solution to Turkey’s Kurdish issue may be Erdogan’s only way of reversing his declining reputation before important nationwide elections next year particularly as the economy also declines. Conversely after almost a year of peace the possible return of PKK violence would be shattering for Turkey. But Erdogan’s Kurdish peace process seems to have lost steam, along with his diminishing hopes of becoming president with strong executive powers.
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