Two Turkish soldiers killed in apparent retaliation for bombing of Kurdish militants

Two Turkish soldiers killed in apparent retaliation for bombing of Kurdish militants
By Seamus Kearney
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Ankara has launched a crackdown against the PKK-Kurdistan Workers Party, as well as airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria

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There has been apparent retaliation by Kurdish militants in Turkey after government airstrikes on Kurdish camps in northern Iraq.

Two Turkish soldiers have been killed in a roadside bombing in the southeast of the country, and other suspected shooting incidents are being reported.

Ankara has launched a crackdown against the PKK-Kurdistan Workers Party, as well as airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria.

Turkey’s turnaround in its reluctance to join the US-led alliance against ISIL came after it carried out a deadly attack on a mainly Kurdish town.

But the airstrikes against the PKK put at risk a fragile peace process that began with the group in 2012.

A senior US diplomat has insisted there is “no connection” between the air strikes against the PKK and what he calls “recent understandings to intensify US-Turkey cooperation against ISIL”.

The Turkish government denies PKK claims that it has been covertly helping ISIL to weaken Kurdish forces in Syria.

Critics also say the Turkish President is using the action against ISIL as a cover to clamp down on the PKK.

Turkey maintains its objective with the targeting of ISIL and PKK is to create a “safe zone” across the border in northern Syria.

Recep Erdogan's policy of distancing Turkey from the fight against IS has been dealt a blow http://t.co/MJ4lNCknu0pic.twitter.com/TXLra8kKRk

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) July 26, 2015

For Erdogan, Turkish assault is about containing the Kurds as much as fighting Isil http://t.co/HUorrIVGFIpic.twitter.com/SPrSxhKRjE

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 25, 2015

Truce with Kurds ends as Turkey teeters on brink of guerrilla war http://t.co/ElTiJ6Xroh (Getty) pic.twitter.com/GT810oK6h4

— The Times of London (@thetimes) July 26, 2015

WATCH: Turkey's new campaign against ISIS leaves Kurds in uncertain position http://t.co/7nEXBkw9Czpic.twitter.com/1Do4pFRllW

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 26, 2015

Turkey and the Kurds: The truce is over http://t.co/OGHZtuJn7B? pic.twitter.com/aaZ2BhQuL9

— MESP (@mestrate) July 26, 2015

.Metin4020</a> analyzes latest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Suruc?src=hash">#Suruc</a> attack: it was designed to send strong message to Kurds, US and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash">#Turkey</a> <a href="http://t.co/0zvDpR338G">http://t.co/0zvDpR338G</a></p>&mdash; Al-Monitor (AlMonitor) July 23, 2015

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