Poll Results: Latest Turkish Airstrikes on Kurdish Separatists and Wave of Violence in Ankara

What do you think will be the impact of the latest Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish separatists following the current wave of violence in Turkey in the aftermath of Ankara bombing

The Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies started a poll to ascertain the impact of the lastest airstrikes by Turkish government on the Kurdish separatists following the current wave of violence in the country. More than 200 people have died in five major bombings since July, 2015, after thefirst general election which was held on June, 2015. Only last week, 37 people died in the latest suicide attack at a bus stop, in Ankara.

63.3 per cent respondents were of the view that the instability in Turkey will increase after the Turkish government’s decision to quell the rebelion with an iron hand. However, only 10 per cent poll respondents think that airstrikes on the Kurdish rebels will help in establishing peace within Turkey. Interestingly, as mush as 26.7 per cent respondents could not perceive the impact of airstrikes.

Along with handling the refugees as a transit country, Turkey is also engulfed by two factors in the war on terrorism: the threat of ISIS, and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). Currently, it is sheltering 3 million refugees.

On March 20, the agreement was concluded between Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and heads of the 28 European Union states to deport migrants who crossed Turkey to travel to Greece and further into Europe. The EU-Turkey deal will assign an even more important role to Turkey after economic migrants would be returned back from Greece,  and will be screened for asylum eligibility. Hence, Turkey will transform from a transit country to an asylum receiving country. In the context of these multiple developments, Turkey would be forced to work for inclusion of the Kurdish separatists. With an increasing instability at home, it would be challenging to be a member of the European Union and settle the refugee influx simultaneously.