Turkey fumes as Sinjar Yazidis declare ‘democratic autonomy’
Source:al Monitor Date:22Aug2017
This development confirms the intel that most of Sincar (Shengal) is now effectively under PKK control, adding to Ankara’s concern that it is being encircled by the proxies of the terror organization in Northern Iraq and Syria. While the optimal policy is to launch a second Kurdish Peace Process which ought to be expanded to all the Kurds in the region, narrow political calculations hinder this solution. The second-best (and bad) option is to prevent PKK’s infiltration of Southern Neighbors by military force. The deal presumably struck with Iran to force PKK out of Qandil is only the beginning. Alone or in conjunction with Iran or Russia, Turkey will drive PKK ally PYD-YPG out of Afrin, and finally attempt to disrupt nation-building in Kobane and Cizre cantons. Severe casualties and Kurdish unrest lay in store for Turkey. For Kurds history repeats: betrayal by Great Powers and endless suffering.