Erdo?an optimizing his power game amid killings

Right after the news President Tayyip Erdo?an was going to meet Parliamentary Speaker ?smet Y?lmaz to discuss an interim government to take the country to another election in six months, the news hit the wires about the killing of eight Turkish soldiers in a bomb ambush near the eastern city of Siirt by suspected militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK).

That was only another link in the chain of terror taking the lives of soldiers, police officers and civilians in the predominantly Kurdish populated east and southeast of the country since July 20, when two policemen were killed in their sleep by suspected PKK militants in Ceylanp?nar near the Syrian border, practically ending the de facto cease-fire between the Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government and the PKK thanks to the dialogue started in 2012 in pursuit of a political solution.

Because of the reciprocal escalation of attacks by both PKK militants and government forces, in a rather short period of time the entire picture has turned upside down. The PKK has been declaring autonomy in towns, trying to deny entry by digging trenches across roads and booby-trapping them, while special operations police have been carrying out raids supported by helicopters, allegedly torturing the suspects they arrest amid statements from both Ankara and Kandil (in northern of Iraq where the PKK has its HQ) with threats of going all the way down.

Right before the attack killed eight more soldiers, Erdo?an also announced Turkey was swiftly heading for an election. In the same widely-televised public address, Erdo?an also strongly slammed all opposition parties, bringing an end to all of Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu?s efforts for a coalition government. 

?He came to...