Reply #12: But they didn't rise against the Turks from 1997 to 1999 [View All]

[14thColony]

...during the previous Turkish interventions. In fact KDP Peshmerga units fought alongside the Turkish Army in rooting out the PKK. Here's another major factor influencing the Iraqi Kurds: nearly $5 billion out of the $6 billion in new investment in northern Iraq has been courtesy of Turkish companies, and nearly 400 out of the 500 foreign companies in Kurdish Irbil are Turkish. The brand new airports in Irbil and Sulaymaniya are Turkish-built, to the tune of about $650 million. And the list goes on. That's a lot of investment to lose when a) the Iraqi Kurds couldn't care less about the Kongra Gel/PKK anyway, b) most Iraqi Kurds and all Kurdish assets and infrastucture will be well out of harm's way, and c) they've never had a problem with it in the past. Kurds are nothing if not realists. They will talk a lot and do very little as long as they see no threat to their own interests. Not good for business to do otherwise. Yes, if the Turks make a grab for Kirkuk or something like that, all hell will break loose and I would not be surprised to see the KDP, PUK, and Kongra Gel/PKK all allied to fight the Turks to the death. That might be what the Kongra Gel are trying to provoke by ramping up the guerrilla attacks in southeastern Turkey. But Turkey won't over-reach like that over just the Kongra Gel.

And to comment on your response; yes, I agree - both Turkey and the Turkish Kurd minority have legitimate grievances, and there is guilt on both sides. A sad situation really.

PS, for those not familiar with it, this group started as PKK then became KADEK, then became Kongra Gele Kurdistan (Kongra Gel or KGK), then KKK (no kidding) now toying with KCK. They must spend more $$$ on new letterhead than on bullets.