Turkey's power struggle affects Kurdish issue
The current political crisis in Turkey could slow negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers Party.
WASHINGTON — The power struggle between Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s movement has shaken the political landscape in Turkey and could result in major changes for the Kurdish minority in Turkey.
The political clash between the Gulen movement and Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was actually first exposed when Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s intelligence chief, was summoned to court for collaborating with the Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) Kurdish Communities Union (KCK).
PKK’s rebel leaders blame the Gulen movement for the KCK case that led to the imprisonment of hundreds of Kurds, targeting Fidan and leaks of the talks. Recently, five pro-Kurdish lawmakers were sworn in after they were released from prison.
The Gulen movement fears the peace process would strengthen the PKK in Turkey’s Kurdish southeast. Therefore, they argue for the so-called Sri Lankan model: destroying the PKK while carrying out democratic reforms to ease Kurdish demands.
