Turkey’s Erdogan fearing Kurds more than he does ISIL: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed William Jones, with the Executive Intelligence Review, in Washington, to discuss Turkey’s early parliamentary elections after the collapse of coalition efforts in the country.

Following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What would early elections mean for Turkey?

Jones: Well, I know what Erdogan is hoping for. He is hoping that he will get back his majority so that he can institute his presidential rule by presidential decree but it is really hard to say what will happen.

If we look at the elections that were held earlier which was something of a defeat for Erdogan, he could not get his majority back and maybe the same thing as we go into that. He may also have other tricks planned; the whole operation against the PKK I think is also directed against the Kurdish support in the Turkish electorate and he probably is hoping that it will have an effect and if not maybe he will do something else to try and use extra-parliamentary means to limit the Kurdish voice in Turky’s politics in order to get his election.

I think, obviously because these negotiations were not serious from his part, he wants new elections where he can be calling the shots.

Press TV: What would happen if the AK Party fails to win the majority in the elections again?

Jones: Well, it will remain a very chaotic situation; either they have got to get some kind of a coalition together on the basis of a program that all can accept and in that case Erdogan would really have to give a certain amount of leeway. I don’t know whether he is willing to do that. I mean in Turkey a lot of different things can happen. We are talking about elections at this point, but with that kind of attitude I would not rule out the possibility of him trying to institute his presidential decree or with a Sultanate or whatever he is trying to gather on using extra-parliamentary means.

I think at the best, it will remain as a somewhat chaotic situation unless Erdogan is forced to back down from his attempts to establish a new presidential rule. I think there are elements in the AKP who would be prepared to do it, probably even the prime minister himself, but he was not successful this time and it is anybody’s guess that they will be able to get that the next time either.

Press TV: Of course, how much would Ankara’s political crisis project itself on Ankara’s policies regarding ISIL and the PKK?

Jones: Well, it is very ambiguous. The so-called fight against ISIL was to a large extent window dressing. Obviously, ISIL is also a threat against Turkey and we have seen that in the recent terrorist actions that they have conducted against Turkey.

But I think the primary aim of this mobilization, so-called the anti-ISIL mobilization, was directed against the Kurds. That is really number one on Erdogan’s agenda that he wants to make sure that they do not have a say in the coming government and the day of course they do not gain momentum to create something of a Kurdish state, ISIL is secondary for him and he will fight it, but he is certainly not fighting it with full force and I don’t think he will.

He will keep his powder dry to deal with what he considers the main opponent.

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