Commentary
Marc Pierini
{
"authors": [
"Marc Pierini"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie Europe",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
],
"collections": [
"Turkey’s Transformation"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Europe",
"programAffiliation": "EP",
"programs": [
"Europe"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Middle East",
"Europe",
"Türkiye",
"Gulf",
"Levant",
"Iraq",
"Syria",
"Iran"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Security"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Turkey Launches Military Operations Against Islamic State and PKK
After military operations against the self-styled Islamic State in Syria and Kurdish separatists in Northern Iraq, Turkey’s strategy seems to be at a turning point.
By Marc Pierini
Published on Jul 27, 2015
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Turkey has called a special meeting of NATO ambassadors to discuss military operations against the self-styled Islamic State and Kurdish separatists, known as the PKK.
Turkey has been a reluctant ally in the campaign against the Islamic State, allowing the use of Turkish military bases for anti–Islamic State coalition air strikes but refusing to provide any military support of its own. But last week's bombing of a cultural center in Turkey by a man with suspected links to the Islamic State appears to have been a turning point.On July 24, Turkey launched its own wave of air strikes against the Islamic State in Syria. And, in a move that could vastly complicate the fight, Ankara also renewed its attacks against Kurdish militants in Northern Iraq, ending a shaky two-year ceasefire with the PKK, the Kurdistan People’s Party. In a parallel operation, antiterrorism police arrested almost 600 people accused of supporting the Islamic State or the PKK.
Kurdish forces have played a key role in the battle against the Islamic State, proving to be a far more effective fighting force than the Iraqi army, but Turkey has long been anxious about the consequences of arming the Kurds against the Islamic State.
On RN Breakfast, Marc Pierini discussed Turkey’s strategy with Fran Kelly.
This broadcast was originally aired on the Australian Broadcast Corporation’s RN Breakfast.
About the Author
Marc Pierini
Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Marc Pierini is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, where his research focuses on developments in the Middle East and Turkey from a European perspective.
- Deciphering Europe’s Relationship with Turkey
- Europe Doesn’t Like War—for Good ReasonsCommentary
Marc Pierini
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Europe
- Taking the Pulse: Was it Right to Boycott Eurovision?Commentary
Five countries staged the biggest political boycott in Eurovision history over Israel’s participation. With the FIFA World Cup and other sporting or cultural touchstones on the horizon, are boycotts effective?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- Trump Turns NATO into a Tool of CoercionCommentary
The full list of humiliations Europe has endured since Donald Trump returned to the White House makes for grim reading. But Washington’s adversarial approach to its allies undermines its own power base.
Rym Momtaz
- Ecological Statecraft in the Midst of War: Water, Regeneration, and the Future of Gulf SecurityPaper
The U.S.-Iran war has crossed a dangerous threshold: water infrastructure in the Gulf is now a target. Ecological statecraft is no longer peripheral to security, it's part of its foundations.
Olivia Lazard, Ali Bin Shahid
- How the EU Can Become Energy IndependentCommentary
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a global energy crisis, but Europe is stuck in reaction mode. Without more strategic foresight, the EU will remain dependent on fossil fuels and will never be truly secure.
Milo McBride, Pauline Gerard
- Deciphering Europe’s Relationship with TurkeyCommentary
Debate is heating up on how Turkey could be integrated into a common European defense framework. Commercial and industrial deals offer a better chance at alignment than sweeping political efforts.
Marc Pierini
