Smoke rises from the Al Qusoor district of Homs
The Turkish military mobilized large numbers of reinforcements from its eastern provinces to the Syrian border on Tuesday, amid rising tension with Damascus, after the downing by Syria of a Turkish Air Force jet on Friday, Turkish media reported.
Large numbers of Turkish troops — including at least 15 long-range artillery pieces and tanks – moved to the Syrian frontier from the eastern city of Diyarbakir. A video published by the Turkish Cihan News Agency showed Turkish tanks being transported by carrier trucks toward the frontier.
The mobilization followed statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Turkish military will respond to any future violation of its border by Syrian military elements.
“As awe-inspiring as Turkey’s friendship is, Turkey’s wrath is equally awe-inspiring,” Erdogan told the Turkish parliament on Tuesday.
“The rules of engagement of the Turkish Armed Forces have changed,” Erdogan said. “Any military element that approaches the Turkish border from Syria posing a security risk and danger will be regarded as a threat and treated as a military target.”
Erdogan closed his remarks with an especially harsh condemnation of Syrian President Bashar Assad: “Turkey and the Turkish people will continue to provide all support until the people of Syria have been saved from this tyrannical, murderous, bloody dictator and his gang.”
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Sounds to me like the “Syrian question” may soon be answered. I’ll be back tomorrow with more.
Turkey taking over and occupying Syria could then impose ” peace ” on all the local elements and set up the conditions for democratic elections after a transitionary period of stability and security from violent excesses by any of the factions involved !
Being also a muslim country it avoids a lot of the problems of having the U.S.A. or Europe directly involved …. as if they could afford to do so with the present economy and already overextended and exhausted by past efforts at trying to be the policeman of the World !
A lot would depend on the Syrian people seeing a Turkish occupation as a welcome relief from chaos and violence versus seeing it as an invasion out of national pride ! Humans are rarely wise or rational about these things historically.
And so it begins, another example of fratricide in the Middle East. Unfortunately, Turkey will have the resources of NATO to “hammer home” its response. This will not stay a regional family mess. Going global and gone …
Well, yes if it becomes Global it could be a real mess, I was thinking of a limited intervention/war between Turkey and Syria: In other words a regional problem dealt with regionally ! Unfortunately this may not be possible or probable because of alliances who would line up on each side and could turn it into a potential World War !