Relations of the Turkish Justice and Development Party with the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government and the Syrian Democratic Union Party between 2011 and 2014

This thesis compares relations between the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) between 2011 and 2014 on the background of its Kurdish minority policy and approach to the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). Since AKP came to power the governmental approach towards so called "Kurdish question" have changed and it started to be more open to negotiations with the PKK. However, there were major changes in the AKP's stance on the "Kurdish question" during the peace processes with the PKK. In 2011 the AKP established closer, especially economic, relations with the KRG. This profitable partnership included a cooperation regarding the approach towards the PKK. In 2014 problems arose when Turkey almost did not help KRG militarily in its fights against ISIS. Turkey's approach towards the PYD was from its conception hostile, which has even worsened after the launch of the Syrian civil war, because PYD was getting stronger politically and militarily. The thesis describes different approaches of the AKP towards KRG and PYD and substantiates it on the background of the issue of the Kurdish question