The tensions between the Kurds and the Turkish government are escalating into what can probably be described as a civil war, reminiscent of the civil war fought between the two sides between 1984 and 1999 which killed about 40,000 people. Turkish President Erdogan has recently stated that he intends to “annihilate” the fighting forces of the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), and that there is no Kurdish question, only a “terrorist question.” The civil war is clearly hampering the efforts to address the problem of Daesh and will likely complicate Middle East politics for an extended period of time.
The largest student protests in over a quarter of a century have erupted in India. The protests center around a student leader, Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been accused of sedition for raising questions about the hanging of a Kashmiri separatist, Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged in 2013 for his alleged role in an attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001. The student protests are directed toward the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who the students believe is stifling the freedom of dissent. In turn, Modi’s supporters accuse the students of “anti-Indian” sentiments. The struggle is clearly ideological.
The Silk Road is coming back. China has spearheaded a drive to built a land-based transportation infrastructure through central Asia which will ultimately connect Chinese seaports to Europe. The land route is quicker than the normal route by sea which should result in considerable savings for China. But the plan is also a significant boost to Iran and the central Asian republics.
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