Military Review English Edition March-April 2014 | Page 45
SYRIAN CRISIS
From Turkey’s point of view, the crisis now poses
four direct threats to its security. First, there is the
issue of border security, particularly since clashes
between anti-Assad forces and Assad regime forces
have spilled over into the border region where
approximately 600,000 refugees are located. Border
violations have brought Turkey and Syria to the
brink of war, while Turkey’s stationing of Patriot
missiles near the Turkish-Syrian border has upset
its already-tense relations with Iran and Russia.
Turkey suffered one large terrorist incident related
to the crisis in Syria—car bomb attacks in Reyhanli
in 2013—resulting in the death of over 50 Turks.
Second, the prospect that Kurds in northern Syria
will gain some kind of autonomous status raises
concern that Turkey’s 14 million Kurds will feel
emboldened to renew a push for an autonomous
region. Third, there is concern that the northern
part of Syria could become a base for the separatist
rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(known as the PKK), which Turkey is engaged with
in precarious peace negotiations after fighting for
almost 30 years. Fourth, there is the global threat
from al-Qaida (or like-minded militant radical
Islamist groups) settling in Syria, which has already
begun.2 For Turkey, this means becoming neighbors
with al-Qaida-linked groups and possibly becoming
a transit point for Islamic militants going to join the
jihad in Syria.
Going Regional: The Jet Crisis
and Activation of NATO
When the Syrian crisis first erupted, Turkey used
dialogue and tried to persuade the Assad regime to
stop the violence. As the violence continued, Turkey
changed its stance completely, harshly criticizing
Assad and calling on him to step down. Turkey
eventually became party to the conflict by becoming
a base of support and refuge for anti-Assad forces. It
sheltered members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA)
and military defectors fighting the Syrian forces.
Consequently, Turkish-Syrian relations quickly took
a turn for the worse.
The crisis became regional on 22 June 2012,
when Syria downed an unarmed Turkish RF-4 (an
F-4 Phantom) military jet, which crashed into the
Mediterranean Sea (see map in figure 1). Following the incident, Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan
declared this a hostile act and announced that
Turkey now considered Syria a clear and present
TURKEY
INTERNATIONAL
WATERS
Jet crashes into sea
Jet shot
SYRIA
Figure 1
Map of where the Turkish jet was shot and crashed
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