Erdogan to escalate purge as ‘deep state’ anti-Kurd negotiations with Assad revealed

Leading up to the failed coup attempt in Turkey, military officers who were jailed as part of the Ergenekon trials, but later released, have been negotiating with the Assad regime on a Turkish-Syrian deal that would see the end of Kurdish autonomy forever. The deal seeks to stop all funding or military support of anti-Assad forces and militias in Syria, including the Kurds. Details of the ‘back channel’ negotiations and the main players involved are given below. Meanwhile, President Erdogan is expected to escalate the purge of his opponents and critics that began yesterday with the dismissal of almost 3000 judges. A statement by the Kurdish movement on the attempted coup and on Erdogan’s authoritarian aspirations is also given below.

A. The ‘deep state’ deal between Turkey and Syria

The Homeland Party is a nationalist movement, chaired by Dogu Perincek and its vice chair is Lieutenant General Ismail Hakki Pekin…