Wider war feared between Turkey and Syria

Turkish military station themselves at the border gate with Syria, across from Syrian rebel-controlled Tel Abyad town, in Akcakale, Turkey, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. / AP Photo

AKCAKALE, Turkey Turkey and Syria fired artillery and mortars across their volatile border for a fifth consecutive day on Sunday, in one of the most serious and prolonged flare-ups of violence along the frontier.

The exchange of fire stoked fears that Syria's civil war will escalate into a regional conflagration drawing in NATO member Turkey, once an ally of President Bashar Assad but now a key supporter of the rebels fighting to topple him.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had warned on Saturday that Ankara would respond forcefully to each errant Syrian shell that lands on Turkish soil.

Ankara's warning was coupled by an apparent diplomatic push by the Turkish leadership to promote Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa as a possible figure to head a transitional administration to end the conflict in the country.

In an interview with Turkish state television TRT Saturday, Davutoglu said that al-Sharaa was a figure "whose hands are not contaminated in blood" and therefore acceptable to Syrian opposition groups.

It was not clear whether the Turkish stance was coordinated with other allies, but the candid remarks by Davutoglu suggested some consensus might be emerging over a future role for him.

Al-Sharaa, 73, a close associate and longtime loyalist to the Assad family, has been a controversial figure since the start of the uprising.

He appeared in public in late August for the first time in weeks, ending repeated rumors that he had defected. The regime has suffered a string of prominent defections in recent months, though Assad's inner circle and military have largely kept their cohesive stance behind him.

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Early on in the uprising, the Syrian president delegated to al-Sharaa, a skilled diplomat, responsibility for holding a dialogue with the opposition. A Sunni from the southern town of Daraa, birthplace of the Syrian uprising, al-Sharaa's silence since the start of the uprising made him a prime candidate for rumors that he broke with the regime.

"No one knows the system better than Farouk al-Sharaa," said Davutoglu, adding that al-Sharaa has not been involved in the violence and massacres in Syria.

The Syrian opposition is deeply fragmented, and various factions would likely disagree on whether they would accept him to lead a transitional government.

Meanwhile, there was little sign that the exchange of fire near the border, although still at a fairly low level, was ebbing. It began five days ago when a Syrian shell killed five civilians in a Turkish border town. Turkey's parliament subsequently approved a bill that would allow cross border military operations there.

Damascus offered a rare apology, but shells and mortar rounds continue to fly into Turkish territory.

On Sunday, an Associated Press journalist witnessed a round landing some 200 yards inside Turkey, near the border town of Akcakale. A short time later, eight artillery shells could be heard fired from Turkey.

In the Turkish town of Akcakale, mayor Abdulhakim Ayhan said shrapnel from the Syrian mortar round caused some damage to a grain depot, but no one was hurt. He confirmed that Turkish artillery immediately returned fire.

The Anadolu Agency reported that Assad's forces have been shelling the town of Tal Abyad, just across from Akcakale, which is controlled by Syrian rebels.

Turkey's private Dogan news agency reported that a six-vehicle military convoy, including two carrying howitzers, was seen traveling from the city of Gaziantep toward the Syrian border.

Inside Syria, forces loyal to Assad clashed with rebels across the country, from the northern city of Aleppo to the southern border with Jordan, killing according to activist groups at least 90 people across the country. Activists said opposition fighters were strengthening their hold over the village off Khirbet al-Jouz, in the northern province of Idlib, which borders Turkey and where violent clashes broke out a day earlier.

The Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said Sunday that the rebels had regained full control of Khirbet al-Jouz. It said the Syrian army was forced to "pull back" following an "offensive" by some 700 rebels.

It also reported that Assad's troops were forced to retreat some 12 miles toward the town of Jisr al-Shughour. It said rebels in Khirbet al-Jouz celebrated their victory by firing their weapons into the air.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime forces pulled out of two villages in the Idlib countryside near Turkey. In Khirbet al-Jouz, wounded Syrian soldiers were left to fend for themselves after government troops were forced to retreat from the area, the Observatory said.

The reports could not be independently confirmed, and it was not clear whether the wounded soldiers were captured by the rebels.

In Damascus, a car bomb exploded in the parking lot of the local police headquarters in central Damascus, killing one member of the military, the state-run SANA news agency said. The explosion is the latest in a series of bombs and suicide attack targeting security personnel and government institutions.

Elsewhere, Syrian troops were widening their offensive to retake rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo and the suburbs of Damascus, as well as the central province of Homs and villages on the southern border with Jordan.

The Observatory said some of the heaviest fighting Sunday was in Aleppo province. At least three people were killed and scores were wounded when the army pounded the town of Manbaj in Aleppo's suburbs.

Syria's defense minister said Saturday that the government is ready to give amnesty to rebels who repent and those who don't "will be crushed under the feet of our soldiers."

Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij, who became defense minister in July after his predecessor was assassinated, also claimed that the regime was getting the upper hand. "The most dangerous parts of the conspiracy have been passed and the killing is on its way to decline," he said.

Damascus denies it is facing a popular uprising, instead blaming the violence on a foreign conspiracy to punish it for its support for anti-Israeli groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Despite the government's claims of being on the brink of restoring stability, the violence across the country shows no signs of abating. Activists say that more than 30,000 people have been killed since the anti-Assad uprising began.

[rickenaz]

The entire middle east moves from problem to problem. Assad the dictator of Syria remains in power and Iran continues unwavering on it's march in the development of nuclear weapons. Israel cannot gamble with this time frame. Syria and Turkey(NATO) are exchanging fire and Gaza may be heating up again. If this situation does not drastically change soon, I believe the war in Isaiah Chapter 17 will likely take place. Damascus Syria would be destroyed. The worlds economy would likely collapse as a result and usher in a one world government. I wrote a small 6 page book that outlines what I believe the Bible states will take place soon. I don't accept donations and it's free. It's a short read. I encourage you to have a look: http://www.booksie.com/religion_and_spirituality/book/richard_b_barnes/after-the-rapture-whats-next/chapter/1

[johnlockesghost]

"Wider war feared between Turkey and Syria"--Why? It would seem that the joining of forces between the Turks and the rebels would bring the mess to a more rapid conclusion. Even though NATO, including the US, is allied with Turkey, it doesn't mean that they would or should, have an active role in the war. In fact, it looks like another job for special forces. Take out Assad, and it will be all over.

[kalogerson]

Concerned that Erdogan will escalate his military action on Syria which may result in war and involve other nations. United States needs to use all its diplomacy to prevent Turkey from declaring war on Syria. USA should not be allied with Turkey in any war.

[ForMidnight]

Who on the Syrian side would possibly give authorization for this kind of insane escalation and expansion of what is already a horrid civil war in Syria?
It simply makes no sense for the Syrians to take a very bad situation within their borders and, by launching shells into Turkish territory, threaten to involve Syria in a greater war with the Turks, who will clean their clocks.
This is completely nuts. Who in the hell is in charge here?

[eroteme2]

Maybe I mmissed it, but I don't believe (Mrs) Clinton and/or Obama, our Nobel Prize winning president has/have yet told Turkey they should use restraint.

[Martz42]

Please, Muslim Arabs killing Muslim Arabs, like they have been doing for the past 1500 years or more... Muslim Arabs kill, butcher, behead & go to war with other Muslim Arabs all the time, have been & will continue to go to as long as there are two Muslim Arabs to fight & kill.....

The best thing the rest of the globe can do is seal them into their own Nations & leave the rest of the world alone...

[kobakc]

Erdogan is a good leader despite all the hate messages.

For once in the past 2-3 decades Turkiye's economy is in check consider the EU crises.

The majority of people who are actively looking for work or are working, are better off.

As a leader you have to make tough decisions and some decisions may conflict with your personal beliefs however it may be better for the nation in the long term.

As an employer of just 50 employees, I know that the decisions I make wont please every employee but it may be of benefit for the business' future growth.

So I ask those Erdogan critics, if you were to produce a stats sheet on key performance indicators for the nation and attributes of a leader, supported by fact - where does Erdogan lack in strength?

[eroteme2]

You may want to be careful you do not hire a 51st employee. Believe 50 is the number you will not want to exceed.

[Zimmer555]

I hope Syria would give that Edrdogan a bloody nose that he would not
interfer in another country's internal affairs.
This war, I hoppe would, go on for, at laest a year to give a lesson
to that stupid Erdogan stop messing with another country.
He is a classic puppet of USA

[Boeing707]

LOL, America rules.

[SiDeVilIam]

Jeffrey Goldberg wrote a particularly nasty opinion piece and Philly.com was more than happy to publish it.
Jeffrey write for Bloomberg and The Atlantic. Poor boy.
It was not only rubbish but had shades of conservative insanity deeply imbedded in it.
Here is what I told him:
Warmongering Philthydotcom and I

Warmongering becomes a religion for the conservatives, whenever it suits their political purposes. The very word, liberal, has spoiled your article.
There has never been such a insane rush to judge a president as it is today.

Dozens of articles trickle down every day, if not minute of a day or night advising Barack Obama over US (not his personal) foreign policy.

The best thing for such arrogant bunch is to keep their filthy tongues inside their mouth, as they are doing more harm over a matter so very complicated that none could help.

This is my last comment on Philthy.com

...and I am Sid [e-mail]

[ntxoutlaw]

Please make this your last comment here too.

[cross1242]

I'd think that Syria would avoid fighting with the Turks. They've already got their hands full with their own people.