The assertions that the cross-border operation consists of two parts and both the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the PKK are terror organizations are not that true. From the very beginning, ISIS was considered and declared an enemy by the government. However, there were two elements that prevented the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) from taking a clear position on it. The first was the formation of an ISIS-inclined axis that connected central Anatolia's Turkish radical conservatism to southeastern Anatolia's Kurdish militant Salafism. Turkey is an open society. It is not possible to prevent a phenomenon from occurring by using state power alone if a society has segments that are inclined to militancy as a result of their own cultural and ideological codes that have credibility outside that country's borders. The second was the U.S.'s attitude that wanted Turkey to undertake the dirty work in Syria. However, the government kept its distance from the incidents in the Middle East by stipulating to act together. ISIS coming to its current position changed the situation. The U.S., as a result, leaned toward Turkey's position, and Turkey took a step toward becoming an influential partner in the anti-ISIS coalition.The operation against the PKK was a result of a different turn. Although it is officially considered a terror organization, the PKK was regarded as an interlocutor of potential cooperation. It was hoped that an integration opportunity would emerge thanks to the reconciliation process, and it would be established on a sound basis with a new and democratic constitution. It should be noted that after the AK Party came to power, it has sought a relation with the PKK and almost continuously tried different ways for one since 2004. The PKK, however, never gave an inch on the reconciliation process. It maintained an ambivalent attitude and paid greater attention to the opportunities that the Middle East would offer to it. The collapse of the central state in Syria created a chance for the PKK to establish its own state. This would not only be a Kurdish state, but a state that the organization would establish directly for itself. That is why all other Kurdish parties in Rojava were overwhelmed, and they were forced to flee Turkey and northern Iraq long before ISIS came.Turkey staying out of the equation in the Middle East caused the West to romanticize and use this oppressive structure. The PKK became the extension of a democratic, secular and civilized world that fights radical Islam. Meanwhile, the fact that the ISIS factor made the U.S. a partner took the PKK's imaginary world to an extraordinary dimension. It was thought that it was possible to bring Turkey to its knees. The critical condition to achieve this was to put an end to the reconciliation process. That is why the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) switched to a completely anti-AK Party attitude and announced it would not engage in any cooperation with the AK Party.Meanwhile, the PKK started to take steps toward a parallel state by dominating the public order in eastern and southeastern Turkey. During the pre-election period, extorting businessmen was systemized, workplaces that did not obtain permission had tax penalties imposed on them, and industrial machinery was burned. Furthermore, the PKK tried to transfer the justice system to this structure by establishing its own courts. The government put up with all this to some extent, as it did not want setbacks to the reconciliation process. The PKK already wanted to use its power to halt the reconciliation process. The statements that were made after the elections, the attitude that was adopted and the recent murders rendered it unrealistic and immoral to consider the PKK an interlocutor. Once again, the PKK is pursuing a line that aims to sacrifice politics for violence. Now, however, we have a different game since Turkey and the U.S. came to terms.Life invites the PKK to be realistic. If it is able to, it can act as a humble actor on the stage. If not, it cannot prevent Kurds themselves from becoming a burden for itself and will remain a terror organization.