Violence in Turkey throws spotlight on Kurdish separatists

Turkey has experienced a week of violence. Last Sunday 4 bombs hit a major tourist resort and Istanbul the country's largest city, injuring 27 people including 10 British tourists. While an explosion in Antayla killed 3 and wounded 2 dozen more. A group fighting for Kurdish rights called the Kurdish Freedoms Falcons claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing and warned foreign tourists to stay away from Turkey. The attacks have again put the national and international spotlight on the 20-year struggle between Kurdish separatists fighting the Turkish for an independent homeland. Security forces across Turkey are now on high alert following this week's attacks in Istanbul and the coastal resorts of Marmaris and Antalya.

At Istanbul's Taksim square - the heart of the city with its lively bars and shops - heavily armed police are looking on. Speaking to people one detects a sense of anger and fear. "I feel in secure, I don't know what is going to a happen tomorrow, what is going to come out. I am scared." says one Turkish woman.

Not far from Taksim square is the Kurtulus district, one of the poorest neighborhoods of the city. Few tourists if any come here. Kurtulus is a predominantly Kurdish district and it's from places like this that members of the Kurdish Liberation Falcons or Tak come from. TAK which claimed responsibility for the recent bombings draws its members mainly from the urban poor, say intelligence sources.

Many Kurds migrated to poor neighborhoods like Kurtulus from the predominantly Kurdish south east of Turkey, during the years of war between the Kurdish separatists the PKK and Turkish authorities.

It remains unclear what links the Kurdish militant group TAK has with the PKK. But the group has called for the release of Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK leader who is serving a life sentence in jail. This week's attacks are the latest in a wave of similar bombings by Tak. Since last year, the group has indiscriminately targeted tourist resorts and urban centers including Istanbul. Speaking to Kurds like street seller Hasan there appears to be little support for their tactics.

"My brother in law was injured in a bomb attack; he lost his leg while waiting for a bus, here in Istanbul. Kurds are hurting Kurds. This bombing is wrong, it can effect any one. Yes there are problems in Turkey but whatever you are fighting for, no normal person would leave a bomb on a street, it can kill anyone."

Anger over the bombings is also fueling a growing wave of Turkish nationalist fervor sweeping the country. Thousands of nationalists protested at a recent funeral of a soldier killed by the PKK. Tak's bombings come at the same time as the PKK is stepping up its operations in Southeast Turkey. Dozens of Turkish soldiers have lost their lives in the last few months. And with every funeral, nationalist fervor is on the rise, increasing the pressure on the government to act.

Pressure on the government was further increased with this week's appointment of General Yasar Buyukanit as the new chief of staff. Buyukanit has the reputation of being a hawk compared to his predecessor. His first address as chief of staff on Monday was tough: he promised an uncompromising approach.

"Since its founding Turkey has never witnessed so many threats to its existence as it does now. Separatist terror and other attempts plan to destroy the unitary system of government in Turkey. We are obliged to carefully monitor separatist activities targeting the indivisible unity of our country. We are also obliged to take all necessary measures against them".

In the last few weeks, there has been a build up of Turkish forces in the region. According to unconfirmed reports, Turkish forces attacked PKK bases in neighboring northern Iraq. Further operations are expected against the PKK.

Under pressure from the European Union, the government has introduced a series of legal reforms aimed at alleviating Kurdish grievances. But with upcoming elections next year and rising nationalist fervor gripping the country, the government seems to be giving the army a freer hand. Dilek Korban of the Turkish think tank Tesev, says Turkey is on the verge of falling into a new spiral of violence.

"I honestly think that the government has not really yet come to terms with the extent of the problem. There is still this understanding that this was a terror related incident and just a consequence of the fight against terror. What needs to be done is that the government and the public come to terms with the problem and acknowledge it and we all have to start thinking about this collectively to solve it."

Voices like Korban's though are increasingly blowing in the wind. When the government came to power 4 years ago, the PKK had declared a ceasefire, and the new administration, under pressure from the European Union, was promising a new era of Kurdish reform and long-term peace. Those days now seem long gone. Turkish cities are bracing themselves for further bombings, while the military is preparing for what could be a major crackdown.

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