the pkk talks about turkey. in that kind of atmosphere maybe a lot of kurds could afford, well let's just solve our issue. let's not care what happens to turkey afterwards. when it came down to this process, the kurdish question for a lot of kurds is tied in with the level of democracy in the whole of turkey. the two can't be separated from each other. the solution is tied there with turkey's standard of democracy and with erdogan that's taken a rapid nose dive and that's why maybe the only difference that to the june 7th elections may or should have been maybe. a lot of people criticized for not being open to a coalition with the akp. have criticized them not being open to the coalition of akp. they had to turn to the mhp i personally don't agree with. if they had said we are working to working with the akp, we are okay withered go erdogan, it wo benefit any of the people, not just the turkish people and why i think the divergence to the htp's peace process and pkk, too, important to specify. none of us can tal

pkk didhe things the very well was they were very realistic.pkkthey had good situations wih the eu. they became a full cabinet member in relation with the u.s. although there were lots of ups and downs during 2008, 2007, 2009, 2010. we have seen the crisis in the relations, but mr. erodgan and his party, they never went for , and still getry to protest. for about four years now, everything has been explained by conspiracy theories. >> thank you. any additional questions? let me ask one final one based on that. what changed on may 31, 2013? why did it change so suddenly? >> for the first time, mr. erodgan, he might lose his power. i think that was the real danger. i remember the first day of the protest. i tweeted and said i did not see the danger. people are just afraid -- protests were ongoing supporting , syrian uprising. i was also part of pkk administration protein -- proceeds until 2013. when the same protest happened in istanbul, suddenly the next day, i start hearing, then had good relations with the akp. i start hearing the second day -

the turkish government worries a lot more about the pkk than they do isis. a consistency of you there. it is a very delicate balance to engage with the kurds who are great fighters, resistant to isis but in doing so, not incur the wrath of the turkish government. i don't have a good answer for you. i just know it is a very difficult line to navigate. >> over to the side. >> thank you for coming over here to the gw. my question is about north korea. benically, this happened to a highlight of my career. you were going on your way to north korea, you stop through the travis air force base, i know that because at the time i was staff sergeant coble. office ofing in the the travis air force base. on the way back. you refueled at travis on the way that and your staff came in to talk to them and they said james clapper is on board and of course i am a huge nerd so i was excited. you didn't get off the plane but it was fine. i'm very proud to get to meet you now but the question was -- what was that process like, working with the dprk and what was something you lear

. >> to the region of turkey as they allow us to support the pkk offshoot reluctantly with a lot of bitchingut they do it. but they can support autonomous kurdish entities and it varies because they're different kurds in syria and iraq as long as we are there the turks know you're there in the interests are taken care of these are not violations of the unity of those countries involved. in syria i am less concerned by in iraq that is 5 million barrels of oil produced on a good day they don't have many good days that they can do that if they needed to to sue nikki go as seven or eight that is the saudi arabia category that is an important trump card so to speak in the middle east read ellen to break it up the timing and the idea was wrong and it has set the kurds back terribly in terms of their ability to survive because much of the oil they are exporting is in central government hands. with that is half of what they're exporting before. so there is major political security and economic aspects that they have gone from one of the best good news stories to another basket case. >> can be added

syrian forces are commanded and control by a pkk offshoot as ash carter told the committee two years ago dedicated to overthrowing turkey. we're supporting that group because we needed against isis. turkey complains, screams, does all the things against us, every day those planes fly. that is the middle east has to deal with today. it is unpleasant, it is transactional, it's ugly but we in turkey have very similar strategic goals. russia, iran and to some degree, syria, want to change the mix-up of the middle east. we do not. turkey does not. at the end of the day we just have to push back as ambassador edelman said but don't cut off this relationship. it is crucial to us. >> i appreciate it, gentlemen. my time has expired. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you all very much both for your service at the state department and as well as for being here today. ambassador crocker, you talked about the fact that we're not even at the table in discussions with syria right now. i would argue that part of the problem there we have a state department that is not functioning in the way that we

it region and that begins with turkey, can -- and i said it it turks are allowing us to support the pkk offshoot kurds in syria every day. reluctantly with a lot of [ bleep] but they do it. the region and turkey in particular can support autonomous, kurdish iftities to one or another degree and it varies. in syria and iraq as long as it -- as long as we're there, the turks know why we're there and it turk's interests are taken care of and these are not violations of the unity of those countries involved. in syria i'm less concerned. but with iraq that's $5 billion of oil produced on a good day. they can do that today if they needed to and ta can go up soon to 7 or 8. that's getting into it saudi arabia category. that's a very important trump card, so to speak, in it middle east and we don't want to just break it up. the timing was wrong, the idea was wrong and it as set the kurds back terribly in terms of their ability to survive because much of the oil they were exporting is in central government hands. that's about half of what their exporting before. 650 thousand barrels and so there