Apr 13, 2016

One southeastern Turkish town where sustained clashes continue between the security forces and the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] is Nusaybin. Prolonged clashes in the town abutting the Syrian border and unexpectedly heavy casualties suffered by security forces have made Nusaybin a focal point in Turkey.

Security experts say the delay in ending operations in Nusaybin and the heavy casualties suffered there are due in large part to its geographical location, saying Nusaybin is very different from other areas of operations. The experts say its proximity to Syria is the main reasons clashes continue to drag on.

For example, Yuksekova, Cizre and Silopi are away from the border; this has allowed security forces to encircle the communities and sever militants’ contacts with their rural forces. But Nusaybin is practically adjacent to Qamishli, a Syrian town heavily populated by Kurds; this enables the PKK to receive logistical support from across the border and hampers the efforts of Turkish security forces to impose control over the area.

Nusaybin, which has become the PKK’s laboratory for urban warfare, is labeled as the "last stronghold" by the PKK leadership; hence it has made extraordinary efforts to keep fighting there.

The PKK brought professional bombing experts trained in northern Iraq to Nusaybin. Intelligence sources say there are about 20 bombing experts in the town now.