That combustible mixture exploded into violence in a poor suburb of Istanbul in early July. The area, called Zeytinburnu, has a large Kurdish population -- mostly migrants who came here in the 1990's. A small protest by Kurdish youths resulted in thousands of Turks taking to the streets and attacking anyone they thought was Kurdish.

"I am Turkish, I am Turkish" a petrified man shouts as he is surrounded by the mob, many wielding wooden clubs.

They were angry at the mounting death toll of Turkish soldiers at the hands of the PKK, and many -- like this woman -- now direct that anger at all Kurds.

We want a solution to be found, she says. She says she does not understand why they cannot get rid of all these Kurdish terrorists and their Kurdish supporters. Wipe them all out, she says.

Ertugral Kurkcu, a member of parliament with the pro-Kurdish BDP party, says he is mostly worried about the millions of young Kurds now coming of age whose families were left traumatized and destitute by the fighting in the 1990's.

"Their enmity to the present state practices are even wilder than the former generation. They're not unreasonably enraged. This is a very savage climate they are living in. Not only the physical conditions, (but) the spiritual conditions with no respect from both the government and society," Kurkcu said.