20 October 2011 Few people will register the ‘new war’ of the week with Kurds in the thousands being stopped by Turkish forces as they attempt to join another popular movement from their territory in northern Iraq.
The Turks, meanwhile, are not finding it easy to hold the line against the rebels of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party what with even their mothers creating a defence circle and refusing to budge till Turkey stops the aerial strikes.

It is not an easy knot to unravel and the 14 million Kurds who live in Turkey seem to be touched by the zephyr of the Arab Spring. Although it has to be accepted that since the Erdogan-led Justice and Development party came into power the Kurds have been given a break, they are still a sizeable number and old wounds don’t always heal fully. Provoked by their brethren in northern Iraq, the combination could see the scab being rudely pulled off.

Things went out of hand about four weeks ago when the rebels who have eschewed organised violence attacked the military and killed 40 soldiers and police personnel. This assault was followed up by a bomb blast near the Turkish border claiming nine Turkish lives. The provocation for the upscaling by the rebels does not have any specific genesis and has occurred despite Erdogan’s efforts to create some sort of dialogue with the Kurd leadership. The current pincer movement of hit and run by rebels, the pressure from the bastion in the northern parts of Iraq and the civilian involvement are creating a tinderbox with very dry powder. And their present rage seems to be fuelled by the stray bomb that killed two Kurd babies and their deaths have become a rallying call for the uprising. The killing of 26 soldiers on Wednesday marks one of the deadliest days for the Turkish army in the 27-year Kurdish battle to break free.

The United States — which has backed Turkey in its conflict with the Kurds — is batting on a sticky wicket and can ill afford another province of instability in Iraq where nothing is as yet over.

There is now danger of Turkey showing truculence over any US pressure to slow down the bombings and the strafing and keeping the attacks on. The problem with this is that all they will achieve is more deaths and a worsening in relations as the Kurds take casualties in their stride and keep on coming in waves.

Consequently, this is the time for an immediate ceasefire even if there is no common ground. At least, for now, Erdogan must fight for time and even if he is tiring of the incessant demands the Kurds 
make, it is better than the stench of cordite in the air.