A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Sunday, killing at least 250 people and leaving thousands homeless. The quake decimated the city of Van, near Turkey's border with Iran. Rescue workers continue to search for survivors. Over a thousand people have been injured. This crisis comes coupled with a Turkish military operation in Iraq. Turkish troops have been pursuing Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq since militants of the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK, killed 24 Kurdish soldiers last week. The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

The images we often associate with Iraq are of destruction, war and dysfunction. But one man hopes to show people another side of the country, with a lovely tour down a Kurdistan river.  

All week long, we've been focusing on Iraq, where American forces are drawing down this month. We've heard mixed opinions from Iraqis and analysts who say Iraq still lacks stability, infrastructure and a functioning government. Now, we turn to Kurdistan, where the view is altogether different from the rest of Iraq. For Kurds, the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 was largely positive. For decades Kurds had suffered repression and abuse under Saddam Hussein's regime.

But what happens when the U.S. pulls out?

The votes are still being counted this morning after Iraq's national election yesterday, and results aren't expected until later this week. One of the key areas of voting in the country was the oil rich northern region of Kurdistan. Thanks to the area's oil reserves, the Kurds have exercised a significant amount of influence and power in Iraq's politics in recent years, often acting as a cohesive block. We're joined by Jim Muir, a BBC correspondent in Baghdad, who tells us more about the general election and the unique role Kurds are playing.