The amount of progress that’s been made since last November on the Turkish-PKK conflict is impressive, and worthy of mention. Yesterday, the Prime Minister of the Kurdish Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, had this to say about stopping PKK attacks originating from Iraqi territory to Turkish reporters while in Washington:
Turkey’s demand — asking our territory not to be used against Turkey — is a just and righteous one.
This from the nephew of KRG President Massoud Barzani, who up until a few months back was threatening to bring the fight to Ankara. PM Barzani also said of the Kirkuk referendum:
[T]he important thing is seeing progress in the region. The timing of the referendum is not a big issue.
Between the handling of its PKK problem and the mediation role it’s playing between Israel and Syria, Turkey has demonstrated some skillful diplomacy. About the only dark spot on the horizon is the legal controversy that might render the ruling AKP party illegal, that risks developing into a major institutional crisis. But hey, can’t have everything.
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