U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Oct. 8 that the escalating conflict along the Syrian-Turkish border could evolve into a regional calamity with global ramifications. The situation in Syria has dramatically worsened, which poses serious risks to the stability of Syria’s neighbors and the entire region. Turkey’s intervention has added uncertainty to the Syrian crisis, and there is little chance to solve it through peaceful means.
The conflict has escalated along the Syrian-Turkish border since October.
Turkey has taken a tough stance on the border conflict. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Turks to be fully prepared for a possible war with Syria if necessary. Turkish President Abdullah Gul also said that necessary measures would be taken to protect the country. It takes only one year for two countries to change from alliance to enemies. Their diplomatic relations have deteriorated rapidly since massive protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad broke out in March 2011.
Furthermore, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu asked Bashar al-Assad to step down immediately, and transfer his power to Syrian Vice President to Farouk al-Sharaa who leads the transitional government.
