We have been discussing this in other Turkish forums as well. It is a very hot topic. And, somehow, it always ends up somebody is accusing others as traitors.

First of all some facts :

-We have around 15 million kurds in Turkey.

-Their social economical conditions are pretty bad comparing to what we have in rest of Turkey. (GDP 500$ to 7.000-8.000$ in avg)

-The recent conflict started earlier around first part of 1980s (Military times! in Turkey) because of military regime was extra harsh on Kurds changing the village names, forcing the Turkish names etc. (They were harsh everywhere but specially in the southeast they really showed their teeth)

-First reaction of the military for the rebels was 'they are handful terrorists.we will finish them'

-was it finished? NO

-Later on officials tried to describe kurds by saying that 'there is no ethnic group in Turkey called Kurds. They are mountain Turks'. It was a quite pathetic description!

-Harsh approach continued towards the mountain Turks. The theme was same as today. 'There are terrorists. We dont have kurdish problem'.And PKK flourished.

-During this period, many villages, somehow, destroyed. Many cases went to EU Human rights courts. Kurdish population become thin in rural areas.

-PKK was so strong at some stage. They would stop and search coaches.

-Governments changed tactics and started to cooperate with the local tribes, arming them against pkk. The result of that was blood bath.(In the end, a huge war machine has been created with local militias and everything. Of course, each war machine needs fuel to continue!)


-Capturing their leader was a turning point in this war. Because he is the undisputed leader of pkk, he started to soften his group. (that is where my comment 'I still think pkk is in the passive/defensive position. ' is coming from!! and everybody, who has a little bit of knowledge about politics in Turkey, knows that)


-The official line has always been the same :'we have terrorism only, we dont have Kurdish problem'

-Turkey performed several incursions into Northern Iraq in the past. Did they finish the terror? NO. Did those hot pursuits damaged them? NO

And now, most of the intellectuals in Turkey realize that we have a problem.
And the problem is between our borders. Not somewhere else. The problem we have is generating the terrorism. And the terrorism wont go away unless we deal with the problem.

I am against the hot pursuit into northern Iraq because it will achieve nothing as far as the terrorism is concerned.
I simply, dont want any of my country men dying for this problem anymore. Enough is enough

Turkey's refusal to open its land for invasion of Iraq one of the most honorable act I have ever seen from Turkey.
Money? money for blood of Iraqies? Thank you!

About invading northern Iraq: I absolutely disagree with that idea. Turkey did it in past several times. PKK is still PKK. And everybody knows that the terror is not going to finish with that operation. Those operations proved to be not successful. Even the prime minister told several months ago there is no need for that.
The timing is quite interesting, however. 2/3 of American supplies are coming from Turkey through northern Iraq. That operation will hamper those supply roots. It might be Turkey's response to USA's armenian decision.
And Turkey and Iran have always been spectical about the Kurds. And I think there will be an Kerkuk referendum about in the near future.
Turkey has been warning Kurds for a long time about their treatment of Turkomans.
I dont think Americans and Turks will be fighting in northern Iraq. I doubt that kurdish pehmerges will try to stop Turkey either, if it happens.
But one thing for sure that it wont finish PKK and it may even force PKK to start active fighting again.
So the result might be more bloodshed.