Weekly report -21/10
Turkey strikes on Kurdish militant positions in response to deadly attack near Ankara
On October 23 and 24, Turkey launched air strikes targeting Kurdish positions in Iraq and Syria in response to an October 23 attack on the headquarters of the Turkish national aerospace company near Ankara. The attack killed 5 people and injured 22. Turkey quickly blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for it, and Turkish interior minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that the two attackers have been identified as members of the PKK, as per L’Orient-Le Jour. Reuters reported that responsibility for the attack has not been claimed by any actor. According to Alarabiya, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the attack “heinous” and stated that it “target(ed) the survival of our country.” Solidarity with Turkey was expressed by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Only hours after the attack, Turkey began to carry out air strikes “against terrorist targets in the north of Iraq and Syria”, as per the Turkish defense ministry cited by Alarabiya. According to Reuters, 59 militants were killed in the operations. The defense ministry said that 32 facilities used by the PKK or by Syrian Kurdish militia were “successfully destroyed” on Wednesday. The strikes were continued on Thursday, resulting in the death of 12 civilians, including two children, in north-east Syria, the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. The SDF, cited by The Guardian, added that the strikes targeted also “bakeries, power stations, oil facilities and (Kurdish) Internal Security Force checkpoints.” These events came “just as Turkish society was talking about a solution and the possibility of dialogue” in relation to the decades-long conflict, as noted by the political party Dem.
Sources: The Guardian, Alarabiya, L’Orient-Le Jour, Reuters, AP News
Israel conducts air strikes on Iran
On Saturday, October 26, Israel conducted a series of air strikes on Iran, hitting about 20 military sites in Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan. According to Reuters, the Iranian military has confirmed deaths of two soldiers, but otherwise “limited damage” of military bases. According to Iran’s air defense headquarters, cited by Al Jazeera, the attack was largely “successfully intercepted… by the country’s air defense system”, a statement which has been rejected in Israel, as per The Times of Israel. The BBC stated that Israeli retaliation has been “widely expected for weeks” in response to Iran's operation on October 1, during which over 180 missiles were launched towards Israel. The IDF, cited by The Times of Israel, called the attacks on military targets “precise” and stated that “the state of Israel has the right and the duty to respond” to Iran and its proxies’ attacks. Al Jazeera reflected on the risk of further escalation as it reported that IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that Iranian retaliation would make Israel “obligated to respond”, while the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country was “entitled and obligated to defend itself against external aggressive acts”. International reactions have expressed concern for potential escalation: US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett described Israel’s attack on Iran as an “exercise in self-defense” that “specifically avoided populated areas”, and compared it to Iran’s attack that “targeted Israel’s most populous city”. He urged Iran to “cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation”. A number of states, such as Turkey and Jordan, have condemned Israeli attacks as a threat to the security of the region, with others, such as Qatar and Iraq, calling for an end to the violence in Lebanon and Gaza, as per Al Jazeera.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Times of Israel, BBC, Gulf News
Approaching U.S. election brings focus on contrasting Middle East policies of candidates
Throughout the week, various media outlets such as The New York Times, Al Jazeera and AP News have discussed the role of Middle East policy in the approaching U.S. 2024 presidential election. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump present sharply contrasting visions, concerning for example the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran.
Both candidates affirm support for Israel’s security but differ in approach. The candidates’ views on Palestinian rights and statehood reveal significant differences. According to The Jerusalem Post, Harris underscores Israel’s right to self-defense while balancing this with humanitarian considerations for Palestinians. She avoids direct endorsement of a two-state solution, instead focusing on emphasizing “self-determination” for Palestinians and, according to Deutsche Welle, highlighting the importance of Palestinian dignity and humanitarian access. By contrast, Middle East Institute reports that Trump closely aligns with Israel’s current leadership, opposes Palestinian-led international movements, and frequently touts his role as “Israel’s best friend.” According to The Times of Israel, Trump does not prioritize Palestinian statehood. Instead, he focuses on strengthening Israeli-Arab relations through the Abraham Accords without conditioning these agreements on concessions to Palestinians, framing his administration’s sidelining of Palestinian leadership as a diplomatic success.
Both candidates identify Iran as a significant regional threat, though their approaches diverge sharply. Middle East Institute reports that Harris calls Iran the “greatest adversary” of the United States, advocating for a multilateral approach to containment through alliances with European and regional partners. She emphasizes diplomacy but maintains that “all options are on the table.” Trump, as noted by Chatham House, promises a return to “maximum pressure,” advocating unilateral sanctions and economic isolation, which he claims “contained” Iran’s influence and nuclear ambitions during his administration.
Sources: The New York Times, Al Jazeera, AP News, Deutsche Welle, The Jerusalem Post, Middle East Institute, The Times of Israel, Chatham House
