| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Turkey to take "necessary measures" on border security: PM Davutoglu |
| 2015-06-30 |
| [Al Ahram] Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... was prepared for all necessary measures to tackle security threats along its borders, highlighting Ankara's growing anxiety about conflict near its southern frontier in Syria. The National Security Council, chaired by President Tayyip Erdogan, expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... about a threat of "terrorism" from the Syrian border as local media reported Ankara was considering military steps to counter security risks from Syria. A statement from the council following its meeting also said Turkey was worried about demographic changes in the region, in an apparent reference to the displacement of Arab and Turkmen Syrians following fighting in recent weeks. Syrian Kurdish forces continued to make military advances against Islamic snuffies with Ankara fearing the creation of an autonomous Kurdish state in Syrian territory that would further embolden Turkey's own 14 million Kurds. Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey would never allow the formation of a Kurdish state along its southern borders. Syrian Kurdish forces secured the town of Kobane next to the border over the weekend, beating back Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... bully boys. "If any harm is to come to Turkey's border security, if Turkey reaches the conclusion that this garden of peace is being threatened, it is prepared for any eventuality," Davutoglu said in comments broadcast late on Sunday. "We will take the necessary measures to reduce the risks related to cross-border security." The pro-government Star newspaper said a possible cross-border operation would be considered at the national security council meeting, citing unnamed sources. One option that could be considered was the creation of a 110 km (70 mile) "secure zone" within Syria, the newspaper said. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Saban Disli, an adviser to Davutoglu, told Rooters the meeting was likely to bring a change in the military's rules of engagement, describing advances of both Kurdish forces and Islamic State snuffies as "dangerous". He did not say how the rules could be changed. However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... the pro-government Sabah newspaper said policy could be altered to allow Turkish forces to attack Islamic State fighters near the border. Currently, Turkish forces retaliate in kind against any attack from Syrian territory. "Turkey will not take any unilateral step on the Syrian side independent of the international coalition," a senior government official told Rooters. "But we have our sensitivity on border gates not coming under the control of ISIL or the PYD (Kurdish forces)." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 "We will do whatever it takes to keep the Kurds down." |
| Posted by: SteveS 2015-06-30 00:43 |