In joining the fight against the Islamic State (IS) — following the July 20 attack by the group in the town of Suruc that killed 32 people, most of them Kurdish peace activists, and another near the town of Kilis on July 23 that left a Turkish officer dead — Ankara has clearly moved in the direction long desired by its Western allies. The decision to open the Incirlik Air Base to the US-led coalition for use against IS provides tangible evidence that Turkey has turned a corner in this respect.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has decided to fight terrorism on multiple fronts simultaneously, not only taking on IS, but the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as well and to a much lesser extent the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, a left-wing terrorist group.