Military intervention in Syria to cost Turkey dearly
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has warned the government against any military intervention in neighboring Syria, saying such a move would cost Ankara dearly.
“I am warning them (government officials) not to drag Turkey into an adventure; it would have a high cost,” said CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said on Monday, the Turkish Hurriyet daily reported.
The senior opposition figure said that it is ordinary Turkish people and not the politicians who would face the consequences of a potential military action against neighboring Syria.
Kilicdaroglu’s comments came a day after several Turkish media outlets reported that Ankara may be considering a ground incursion into Syria.
According to the unconfirmed reports, the government has ordered the army to deploy forces to the border areas in a bid to prevent potential significant gains by Kurdish forces fighting against the Takfiri ISIL terrorists inside Syria.
On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Syrian Kurds of trying to establish a state in the crisis-hit country’s north, saying Ankara will leave no stone unturned to prevent such an establishment near its borders.
Kilicdaroglu, the Turkish opposition leader, further said he has always criticized the government over its policy toward Syria, rejecting claims that Turkey could be a “playmaker” in the Middle East.
He urged Ankara to consider the suggestion made by former Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug, who has recently advised the Turkish government to revise its policies on Syria and support the Damascus government in settling the crisis in the neighboring Arab state.
Meanwhile, in another report on Monday, Hurriyet said it has learned that the Turkish army mulls pounding Syria with artillery fire from inside Turkish territory in a campaign claimed to be intended to counter purported ISIL threats.
Ankara has been among the major sponsors of the militant groups that have been operating in Syria over the past four years.
