Changed Prospects for Turkish Military Intervention in Syria
By Soner Cagaptay
April 12, 2012
Turkey is hinting at intervention to contain the crisis on its border, and developments such as military redeployments, consular closures, and parliamentary authorization may give Washington advance warning of Ankara's plans.
Several recent developments have put the possibility of military action in Syria on Turkey's agenda. On April 9, Syrian forces opened fire at a refugee camp on the Turkish side of the border, killing two Syrian refugees and wounding two Turks. The number of such refugees crossing into Turkey has increased sharply, reaching some 25,000. In response, Ankara is hinting at creating a buffer zone inside Syria to defend the civilian population and contain the crisis on its border. On April 10, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that although Turkey does not want to enter Syria, "if anybody were to force [Ankara] to do that, it would be the Syrian regime itself."
More: Changed Prospects for Turkish Military Intervention in Syria