A Kurdish Islamic militant group with reported ties to al-Qaida is re-emerging in Turkey after six years underground — and has started issuing vague but worrying threats, authorities say. Turkish Hezbollah's rise parallels developments across the broader Muslim world, where the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon are believed to have served as powerful recruiting tools for radical Islamic groups.Turkish Hezbollah, which takes its name from the better-known Lebanon-based Hezbollah but has no formal links to it, was largely eradicated six years ago when its leader was killed and more than 6,000 of its members were arrested in a massive police crackdown. Like the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Turkish group allegedly is backed by Iran. Turkish authorities now say they are witnessing a rise in its activities, but they are proceeding cautiously out of fears that in today's charged atmosphere, a harsh crackdown could inspire even more young Muslims to join its ranks.
The group's growing influence has drawn attention to the Turkish government's precarious position: it must contain radical Islamic elements as part of its dream of joining the European Union, yet must also take care not to be seen as selling out to the West.