In summer 2012 , the conflict with the PKK took a violent curve , in parallel with the Syrian civil war as President Bashar al-Assad ceded control of several Kurdish cities in Syria to the PYD , the Syrian affiliate of the PKK , and Turkey armed ISIS and other Islamic groups against Kurds . Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused the Assad government of arming the group . In June and August there were heavy clashes in Hakkari province , described as the most violent in years . as the PKK attempted to seize control of Şemdinli and engage the Turkish army in a " frontal battle " by blocking the roads leading to the town from Iran and Iraq and setting up DShK heavy machine guns and rocket launchers on high ground to ambush Turkish motorized units that would be sent to re-take the town . However the Turkish army avoided the trap by destroying the heavy weapons from the air and using long range artillery to root out the PKK . The Turkish military declared operation was ended successfully on 11 August , claiming to have killed 115 guerrillas and lost only six soldiers and two village guards . On 20 August , eight people were killed and 66 wounded by a deadly bombing in Gaziantep . According to the KCK 400 incidents of shelling , air bombardment and armed clashes occurred in August . On 24 September , Turkish General Necdet Özel claimed that 110 Turkish soldiers and 475 PKK militants had been killed since the start of 2012
deadly bombing
2012 Gaziantep bombing
Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)