The Turkey Analyst

Vol. 1 no. 15, 10 October 2008

ANALYSIS

PKK Provokes Rise of Ethnic Turkish Nationalism
Halil Magnus Karaveli
Ethnic polarization between Turks and Kurds has intensified as the PKK continues its attacks on Turkish targets. Hatred against Kurds, not a regular feature in Turkey so far, is on the rise in Turkish society. Turkey’s Kurdish problem will become even more difficult to handle if an ethnic nationalism that excludes the Kurds develops further at a popular level. However, it is evident that old assumptions about the conflict will have to be revised.

NEWS DIGEST: THE FORTNIGHT IN REVIEW

I. What the Columnists Say
The attack of the PKK on the Turkish army garrison in Aktutun, which resulted in the deaths of seventeen Turkish soldiers, and the violence that erupted between Turks and Kurds in a town in the Aegean region of Turkey, have been widely commented by Turkish columnists. Most columnists invite Turkey to show restraint and suggest that the state pays more attention to the satisfaction of Kurdish, cultural aspirations. There is also great anxiety that the tactic of the PKK could eventually result in igniting widespread intercommunal strife among Turks and Kurds across Turkey.

II. News Digest
Summary: The PKK attack on a Turkish garrison, as well as moves in Cyprus dominated the news cycle, while discussions on a reformed constitution continued. Click here for full digest.

The Turkey Analyst
The Turkey Analyst is a publication of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Joint Center, designed to bring authoritative analysis and news on the rapidly developing domestic and foreign policy issues in Turkey. It is published weekly, and includes a topical analysis, as well as translations and summaries of selected Turkish news reports. It is edited and compiled under the supervision of Svante E. Cornell, Halil M. Karaveli, and M. K. Kaya.

The Turkey Analyst occasionally publishes guest analyses, which are normally solicited. Submissions are nevertheless welcome.

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The Joint Center
The Joint Center, created in 2005, is the product of the merger of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, and the Silk Road Studies Program, at the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy.

The Turkey Initiative
The Joint Center launched a Turkey Initiative in 2006 in order to improve understand of Turkish domestic and foreign affairs in Europe and the United States.

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