Strategic Assessment

The Kurdish question is one of the fundamental problems facing the Turkish republic. From 2008, and with even greater intensity from late 2012, a peace process between the government and the Kurdish minority was underway. In July 2015, the process collapsed and fighting between the sides resumed, particularly in the country’s southeast. While previous talks between the government and the Kurdish minority have also known low points, it seems that this time there is a deeper crisis in relations. This article analyzes the factors that led to the collapse of the peace process and the strategic implications for the region, in particular how the collapse of the peace process contributes to Turkey’s suspicions regarding Western support for the Kurds in Syria in the context of the international coalition’s struggle against the Islamic State.