Despite growing calls for a political solution to the Kurdish question and a revival of negotiation efforts, the Turkish government remains steadfast in its determination to intensify its crackdown on the Kurdish population and escalate military conflicts to expand and link its spheres of influence in Syria and Iraq, according to Turkish journalist Cem Küçük, known for his loyalty to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and support for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
During a television appearance on Monday, Küçük discussed the potential impact of the success of the People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in Istanbul in the upcoming local elections on 31 March. He also discussed the status of imprisoned prominent figures such as Selahattin Demirtaş and Osman Kavala, as well as Turkey’s military strategies in northern Iraq.
Küçük explicitly stated that contrary to speculation on social media, individuals such as Demirtaş and Kavala would not be released even if the DEM Party won 8-9 per cent of the vote in Istanbul in upcoming local elections. He also ruled out the possibility of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), being placed under house arrest and dismissed the likelihood of a resumption of peace negotiations.
Küçük revealed plans for a major Turkish military operation in northern Iraq, to be launched after May. This operation, according to Küçük, has the approval of the Iraqi government, which now perceives the PKK as a threat. He drew parallels between the forthcoming operation and previous Turkish military efforts against Kurdish areas in northern Syria, such as operations ‘Peace Spring’, ‘Olive Branch’ and ‘Euphrates Shield’, hinting at a strategy to unite these controlled areas.
“Turkey will do in Iraq what it did in northern Syria,” he said, predicting that the DEM Party supporters would denounce the military operation as aggressive against the Kurds and characterise it as an occupation.
