Turkey turned to its allies in NATO on Tuesday for political backing, after it agreed to step up efforts against the Islamic State group but also renewed its conflict with Kurdish extremists.
BAGHDAD — In the days after reaching an agreement with the United States to combat mayhem in Syria and Iraq, Turkey said it had vaulted itself into the battle against extremists menacing Turkish security.
But the extremists the Turks have in mind are not just members of the Islamic State group. Instead, as has become increasingly clear this week, Turkey is at least as focused on crushing the Kurdish insurgents it has struggled to contain for many years.