Turkey, a pivotal state in the Middle East and an indispensable U.S. ally, is suffering severe problems.
Turkey, a pivotal state in the Middle East and an indispensable U.S. ally, is suffering severe problems.
Their gravity was on display Saturday in the horrible twin bombings in Ankara, the capital, that killed at least 97 and wounded hundreds. No group has claimed responsibility, but the government suspects the Islamic State group.
One of Turkey’s problems, domestic political wrangling, is attributable to the ambitions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He called early elections to improve the position of his party. It finished first on June 7, but by such a narrow margin that he had to try to form a coalition government. He was unsuccessful and scheduled new elections for Nov. 1.
The move provoked another problem. Turkey’s Kurdish minority, estimated at 25 percent, has been emboldened by Kurdish military successes in Iraq and Syria. The Kurds did better in the latest elections, stirring up anti-Kurdish sentiment among other Turks. In addition, a longstanding truce between extremist Kurds and the government ended and hostilities are open again.
Add to that the Turks’ concern over the improving situation in the Middle East of the Islamic State, to which it is opposed, and the flood of about 2 million Syrian and other migrants into Turkey. The country’s situation starts to become dangerous, if not impossible.
Its membership in NATO should provide some reassurance, but most NATO members have no stomach for becoming more deeply involved in Turkey’s security or for accepting more of the migrants.
All in all, it is difficult to see a viable road out of this swamp. Mr. Erdogan should postpone the elections until the spring, form a coalition government that includes the domestic Kurdish party and focus on cooling things down. The United States, given its friendship with Turkey, should encourage this course.
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette