Yet he knows that with parliamentary elections due by next July Mr Erdogan is unlikely to risk upsetting nationalist voters by humouring the Kurds.

ECONOMIST: Turkey's constitutional referendum

In any event, some aspects of the peacekeeping regime were left for further bargaining, essentially between Russia, which is keen to send 10, 000 troops, and America, which seems happier about humouring the Russians now that the broad outcome a Serb withdrawal seems beyond doubt.

ECONOMIST: Peace, for now, in Kosovo | The