Since 2009 the situation between Erdoğan’s Turkish government, now in its third term, and the Kurds has deteriorated. The Kurdish conflict has become increasingly worrisome in the months since the June 2011 elections. After the PKK’s attack on October 19th and the death of 24 Turkish soldiers, it seems that now the AKP government wishes to impose a unilateral military solution. But it is possible that the conflict may have a political solution, or perhaps the new Turkish constitution could remedy this spiral of violence. We spoke to Ferhat Kentel from Istanbul’s Şehir University and to Hugh Pope, director of the Turkish programme at the International Crisis Group.