Turkey gives mixed signals on Syria
Pro-Erdogan media drums support for an invasion of Syria, but military experts say this is not feasible.
As developments in Syria spin out of Turkey’s control, Ankara is sending mixed signals as to what it will do to regain the initiative to address its growing security concerns and deal with the fresh refugee crisis it is facing after the successful Syrian-Russian onslaught in northern Syria.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan added fuel to the fire over the weekend when he said Turkey should not repeat the mistake in Syria that it made in Iraq in 2003. He was referring to the refusal by the Turkish parliament to allow the United States to use Turkish territory to invade Iraq at the time.
Erdogan claimed that if the parliament had not refused permission, “the situation in Iraq would not be what it is today and Turkey would have a place at the table.”
Erdogan, who was talking to reporters on his way back from his Latin American tour, said that “matters in Syria could only be allowed to go so far,” and that Turkey had to protect its interests. “At the moment we are prepared for any eventuality with all our security forces,” he said.
