Will Kobane Be Saved?
Washington D.C. - This week, Kobane has been at the center of discussions here in the US capital. Military generals have warned the US airstrikes will not prevent the Kurdish city from falling to the Islamic State militants.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglo has said his country will not allow Kobani to fall. But so far Turkey has done literally nothing to stop the advance of the militants on the border city. A large number of Turkish tanks have been brought to the border, from which you can see the city and smoke rising from its outskirts.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said saving Kobani is not a strategic objective of the United States. What about Turkey? Isn’t there anything at stake for Turkey should this Kurdish city fall and a possible massacre ensure? We have already seen large protests in Turkish cities, where the police have shot dead more than a dozen protesters.
Today we will discuss the possible impacts of the fall of Kobani on Turkish domestic politics and particularly on the fragile peace process with the pro-Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party- better known as the PKK.
Key guests:
- Marina Ottaway, a renowned scholar and expert in Kurdish affairs at the Wilson Center.
- Tolga Tannis, a Turkish journalist in Washington DC.
- Joshua Walker, a senior fellow at the Truman Project specializing in Turkish and Kurdish affairs.
- Kadir Ustun, Research Director at the SETA Foundation at Washington.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglo has said his country will not allow Kobani to fall. But so far Turkey has done literally nothing to stop the advance of the militants on the border city. A large number of Turkish tanks have been brought to the border, from which you can see the city and smoke rising from its outskirts.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said saving Kobani is not a strategic objective of the United States. What about Turkey? Isn’t there anything at stake for Turkey should this Kurdish city fall and a possible massacre ensure? We have already seen large protests in Turkish cities, where the police have shot dead more than a dozen protesters.
Today we will discuss the possible impacts of the fall of Kobani on Turkish domestic politics and particularly on the fragile peace process with the pro-Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party- better known as the PKK.
Key guests:
- Marina Ottaway, a renowned scholar and expert in Kurdish affairs at the Wilson Center.
- Tolga Tannis, a Turkish journalist in Washington DC.
- Joshua Walker, a senior fellow at the Truman Project specializing in Turkish and Kurdish affairs.
- Kadir Ustun, Research Director at the SETA Foundation at Washington.