Turkey's recurring nightmare

Turkey is moving backwards again with regards to its Kurdish problem. President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an is twanging nationalist chords and saying it is not possible to go on with the Kurdish peace process. He is also stoking sentiments against the pro-Kurdish Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP), which got 13 percent of the vote in the June 7 elections. If it was not politically incorrect, he would join calls to have the party banned. He can?t do this because the Justice and Development Party (AKP) faced such calls in the past. So he is asking for the authorities to go after the party?s leadership instead. 

Meanwhile, Turkish jets are bombing Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) positions in Northern Iraq and fueling suspicions in the West about Ankara?s true motives. It seems Tuesday?s meeting of NATO ambassadors, which was called by Ankara, produced little other than lip service to the notion that Turkey has the right to self-defense. Having said this, all of Turkey?s allies are asking Ankara to keep things in proportion and not endanger the peace process.

All of this is a recurring nightmare for Turkey. We have seen it all before and it has led to nothing but death, destruction and sorrow, with little gained in the end. What members of the war camp say is overly simplistic. ?So we should let the PKK do as it will, is that what you are asking?? they say. This is not what anyone is saying. But reasonable people are asking for all the options in favor of peace to be taken to their limits before the ?sledgehammer? is brought out. 

Erdo?an, however, does not want this. Daily papers are rife with opinions indicating that he is warmongering in an effort to make the AKP the only viable choice for stability in in the country if early elections are held. All...