Turkey, the Kurds and the fight against Islamic State
Europe must prioritise diplomatic support for peace between Turkey and the Kurds as a pre-requisite for a successful strategy against Islamic State
Experts & Staff
Cale Salih
ECFR Alumni · Former Visiting Fellow
Biography
Cale Salih used to be a Visiting Fellow focusing on Kurds.
Ankara’s risky offensive
Abandoning the Kurdish peace process may prove a high price to pay for Turkish support against Islamic State
Is Tal Abyad a turning point for Syria’s Kurds?
The capture of the strategic northern border town of Tal Abyad from Islamic State (IS) is the latest in a string of gains by the YPG
Anger brews among youth in Turkey’s Cizre
A youth group linked to the PKK is gaining considerable power in the town
How Turkey misread the Kurds
Turkey appears to have overlooked the anger bubbling among its own Kurds towards its Syria policy
Kurds demand unity amid battle against Islamic State
In the face of a common enemy in IS, public demand for Kurdish unity across borders is growing
Divided Kurds fight the Islamic State
The Islamic State is deepening Kurdish reliance on external powers and is also having a significant impact on intra-Kurdish rivalries, strengthening the hand of the PKK
Publications
Turkey, the Kurds and the fight against Islamic State
Europe must prioritise diplomatic support for peace between Turkey and the Kurds as a pre-requisite for a successful strategy against Islamic State
Articles
Ankara’s risky offensive
Abandoning the Kurdish peace process may prove a high price to pay for Turkish support against Islamic State
Is Tal Abyad a turning point for Syria’s Kurds?
The capture of the strategic northern border town of Tal Abyad from Islamic State (IS) is the latest in a string of gains by the YPG
Anger brews among youth in Turkey’s Cizre
A youth group linked to the PKK is gaining considerable power in the town
How Turkey misread the Kurds
Turkey appears to have overlooked the anger bubbling among its own Kurds towards its Syria policy
Kurds demand unity amid battle against Islamic State
In the face of a common enemy in IS, public demand for Kurdish unity across borders is growing
Divided Kurds fight the Islamic State
The Islamic State is deepening Kurdish reliance on external powers and is also having a significant impact on intra-Kurdish rivalries, strengthening the hand of the PKK
In the media
Cale Salih on the different parties
Cale Salih on PKK fighters
Cale Salih on the reasons for the dilemma
Cale Salih on the unease over the deal with Turkey
Cale Salih on fear amongst Kurds that Turkey will use the zone to target the PYD