by seektravelinfo » Thu Aug 25, 2016 2:44 am
And Biden showed up in Turkey today, without Gulen's head on a platter (a man who was Erdogan's BFF until 3 years ago & now lives nicely in the Poconos), and well, there was this coup attempt last month & damned if Erdogan didn't skate out of it.
Anyhoo, Turkey is blaming Gulen for the coup try and leaning hard on the USA to extradite Gulen, and we won't (Goddamn right we won't).
So, anti-Americanism has surged in Turkey over this. The same people that Erdogan hosed down in Gezi Park two years ago are now in his corner while Erdogan tears through the country arresting people right and left while he's opening up the jails for pre-coup prisoners to go loose, freeing up jail space.
I don't know how far Biden's diplomacy spread to the Kurds, except that he scolded the YPG & told them to stay on the other side of the Euphrates while Turkey rolls in to presumably attack ISIS, though there are reports from the YPG's propaganda machine that Turkish military is in fact killing Kurds. It doesn't help matters that some Kurdish guerrillas have been killing Turkish soldiers and cops during the past few days. In Turkey.
There are Americans amongst the YPG there as volunteers to lend a hand soldier-wise. The YPG is not the same as the PKK except it kinda sorta is and sometimes it is hard to defend the distinction. A couple of worst case scenarios for any Americans over there right now in Syria: They're killed by Turks (Turkey killing Americans not cool) OR they are deemed to be participating with a terrorist organization ... PKK not YPG. Americans probably safe in SE Turkey, as long as one is extremely cautious, not only for oneself but for the people living there.
That's my travel advice on this here travel site.