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Western analysts are watching Turkey’s relationship with Iran amid speculation that Ankara could be assisting Tehran in its fight against Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) rebels.

Howard Eissenstat, assistant professor of Middle Eastern history at St. Lawrence University in the US, believes the possibility of military cooperation between Turkey and Iran is a sign that Turkey has recently changed its policies toward the Kurds.

“Turkey seems to have decided to take a more aggressive stance against the Kurds in the aftermath of recent elections,” said Eissenstat, in reference to the country’s June parliamentary poll.

PJAK fights Iran for Kurdish rights and it has close ties with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and the United States. Iranian forces have launched massive operations against PJAK in recent weeks while Turkey claimed to have killed at least 100 PKK rebels since the group claimed responsibility for killing eight Turkish soldiers last week. Both groups are based in Iraqi Kurdistan’s mountainous border areas.

Recently Turkish media outlets closely tied to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), have reported that Turkey is planning to provide Iran with militar... >>>