Tackling radicalism in Turkey

Despite of Turkey’s strategic importance for regional security in both the Middle East and Europe, remarkably little scrutiny has been paid to Turkish responses to radical threats. Turkey today faces multiple security threats both from within its own borders and from international groups. Although the Turkish government typically prioritises Kurdish radicalism, over the last two years greater energy and resources have been deployed to confront other groups, such as ISIS. The state’s primary response has been to confront such threats through tough security measures. What is more, many would argue that the AKP government, like many of its predecessors, has used the label of radicalism to police and suppress critics of its policies. To further complicate the picture, the challenges the Turkish state faces today are increasing in complexity following the onset of the Syrian civil war.