From Our Own Correspondent

Is it back to the bad old days of war between the Turkish state and the Kurdish guerrilla organisation the PKK? Mark Lowen recently witnessed signs of renewed conflict in the south-eastern city of Cizre, where barricades, live fire and traumatised children are all to be seen on the streets again. But what lies behind Istanbul's latest offensive, and what does it mean for the planned elections in November?

(Photo: Women grieve with one holding a photo of a man killed during clashes between Turkish forces and militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Cizre, September 2015. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)