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How Kurdish hopes became Turkey's fears

The regionalization of the Kurdish problem was the main factor blowing up the peace process in Turkey, and any return to the negotiating table now depends on developments in the Middle East.
Police officers detain a protester during a protest against the arrest of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers, in Istanbul, Turkey November 6, 2016. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RTX2S6QZ
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The Kurdish issue is undoubtedly Turkey’s most complex problem, both domestically and regionally. The resumption of armed conflict in July 2015 after a two-year lull has claimed thousands of lives and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes.

While violence continues to rattle the country, Ankara’s political and legislative moves have grown more authoritarian by the day. Using the July 15 coup attempt as an opportunity, the government has closed down media outlets and civic groups representing the Kurdish movement and arrested top Kurdish politicians, including parliament members, on the grounds they collaborated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

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