Kurdish issue turns into Turkish PM Erdoğan's Achilles' heel

[kaya'08]

Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces general elections next year, but a host of problems, foremost among which is the conflict in the Southeast, is weakening his party's grip on power. As members of the outlawed PKK increase attacks against security forces, a nationalist backlash erodes the Justice and Development Party's standing

If anybody is funding the PKK, its the Turkish armed forces. I would wager my house. :2wave:

http://hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=government-weakens-as-bloody-conflict-goes-on-2010-07-09

 

[Shayah]

My sister tells me that Turkish military people are currently in Israel learning how to operate Heron drones. Odd considering that Turkey recently closed its airspace to the IAF.

Don't know what was on the agenda, but I do know that sis was in Jerusalem last week and spoke at length with a MK.

 

[kaya'08]

My sister tells me that Turkish military people are currently in Israel learning how to operate Heron drones. Odd considering that Turkey recently closed its airspace to the IAF.

As you know, in Turkey, the government doesn't tell the military to jump, the military tells the government to jump. And though they no longer have an iron grasp over Turkish politics (which is a good thing for Democracy), and even though Erdogan is being allowed to push certain buttons, they still call the cards. So, even though AKP's office may dislike Israel, that doesn't neccessarily reflect the opinions of TAF, which is historically the closest to Israel. Now, the AKP can downgrade representation and close airspace to Israel, but that doesn't worsen the militaries ties with the IDF. So Erdogan can do as he wills. The military will not follow in his path and if TAF isn't hostile to Israel, then nobody need not worry about the current direction our relations have taken. The Kemalists will probably come into power next year and revert most of the rifts anyway.

Don't know what was on the agenda, but I do know that sis was in Jerusalem last week and spoke at length with a MK.

MK?

 

[Shayah]

MK?

Member of the Knesset.