With violence sharply escalating on both sides, the social cost of clashes between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is mounting. The most recent critical threshold crossed was reauthorization of the Turkish military, rather than government-appointed civilian provincial governors, to handle operations.

In an executive order sent to 81 provincial governors last week, the government transferred the authority to determine, plan and execute operations from governors to the military in 13 provinces where clashes are concentrated. The same order authorizes the governors to deploy the army in cities to control street demonstrations.

Civilian governors had been authorized since March 2013 to call for military operations against PKK targets. The new order reverts to earlier, security-heavy policies based on military measures in the struggle against the PKK.

The PKK has prepared extensively, at both the strategic-political and field levels, for violence. In towns such as Cizre, Silopi, Sirnak, Yuksekova and Semdinli, the PKK has introduced its concept of “self-government,” a bottom-up approach, to confront the state and security forces with urban guerrilla techniques. This PKK model calls on people to form armed "self-defense" forces in their neighborhoods and districts. This new approach allows the PKK, which keeps 10,000 of its militants in northern Syria, to save on manpower and resources while compelling Turkish security forces to deal with a new and unfamiliar style of struggle. The PKK is withdrawing into city centers and challenging the security forces to take them on there. This is why the Turkish security forces, which have gained considerable experience in rural combat, are having problems adjusting.