Turkey launches airstrikes on ISIS, PKK territories; more 'safe zones' for displaced Syrians?

Militant camps in Iraq of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were aerially attacked by Turkish forces on 24 July night. This attack occurred a day after an on-ground combat between the Islamic State fighters and Turkish forces in northern Syria.

PKK is a banned organisation in Turkey, that has been fighting the country for an autonomous region for three decades now. This attack has the potential to worsen the stalled Kurdish peace process, after a truce in 2013.

IS crackdown

Turkey is into its second day of shelling IS territories in northern Syria. At the same time, Turkish administration claims to have arrested 'hundreds of ISIS supporters', according to BBC reports. These attacks on IS come a week after 32 lives were claimed in Suroc, Turkey by an attack, allegedly by ISIS.

Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu has gone to the extent of claiming that areas that will be cleared by IS fighters after the shelling will be used as 'safe zones' for displaced Syrians. A third operation is reportedly underway.

This attack has the potential to change the way global powers are fighting IS, Al Jazeera reports. Earlier in the week, Turkey had given full access to the US to use its airbases against the fight.