Health ministers adopt 'Cairo Call to Action' to tackle breast cancer across Eastern Mediterranean    Malaysian PM congratulates Egypt's Al-Sisi on Gaza peace deal    CIB's Hisham Ezz Al-Arab wins Global Finance lifetime achievement award    Al-Sisi reviews Cairo Airport's new terminal project designed to handle 30 million passengers annually    Pakistan launches 'precision strikes' on Afghan border militants after suicide attack    Trump urges Ukraine conflict freeze, dashes Zelenskyy's hopes for advanced arms    Egypt's Al-Mashat discusses MIGA portfolio, second EU assistance tranche with officials    Egypt raises fuel prices, imposes one-year freeze amid cost pressures    Egypt, India hold first strategic dialogue to deepen ties    Egypt courts Indian green energy investment in talks with Ocior Energy    Egypt: Guardian of Heritage, Waiting for the World's Conscience    Egypt, Qatar sign MoU to boost cooperation in healthcare, food safety    EGX ends week mostly higher on Oct. 16    Egypt, UK, Palestine explore financing options for Gaza reconstruction ahead of Cairo conference    Egypt will never relinquish historical Nile water rights, PM says    Egypt explores cooperation with Chinese firms to advance robotic surgery    AUC makes history as 1st global host of IMMAA 2025    Al Ismaelia launches award-winning 'TamaraHaus' in Downtown Cairo revival    Al-Sisi, Burhan discuss efforts to end Sudan war, address Nile Dam dispute in Cairo talks    Egypt's Cabinet hails Sharm El-Sheikh peace summit as turning point for Middle East peace    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile actions, calls for global water cooperation    Egypt unearths one of largest New Kingdom Fortresses in North Sinai    Egypt unearths New Kingdom military fortress on Horus's Way in Sinai    Egypt Writes Calm Anew: How Cairo Engineered the Ceasefire in Gaza    Egypt's acting environment minister heads to Abu Dhabi for IUCN Global Nature Summit    Egyptian Open Amateur Golf Championship 2025 to see record participation    Cairo's Al-Fustat Hills Park nears completion as Middle East's largest green hub – PM    El-Sisi boosts teachers' pay, pushes for AI, digital learning overhaul in Egypt's schools    Syria releases preliminary results of first post-Assad parliament vote    Karnak's hidden origins: Study reveals Egypt's great temple rose from ancient Nile island    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Egypt reviews Nile water inflows as minister warns of impact of encroachments on Rosetta Branch    Egypt aims to reclaim global golf standing with new major tournaments: Omar Hisham    Egypt to host men's, juniors' and ladies' open golf championships in October    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Turkish opposition leader warns against intervention in Syria
Published in Albawaba on 30 - 06 - 2015

Turkey's main opposition party leader warned on Tuesday any military intervention in Syria would spell disaster for Turkey and in comments clearly aimed at President Tayyip Erdogan said the country could not be "a plaything for your ambition".
Turkish newspapers have carried reports Erdogan is considering creation of a buffer zone across the border, where Kurdish militia and Islamist militants vie for control.
The reports come as the AK Party he formed seeks to re-establish its authority after losing its overall majority in June 7 elections.
Erdogan chaired a meeting on Monday of the National Security Council, which voiced concern about a ‘terrorism' threat from across the border. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke of measures by NATO member Turkey to tackle security threats.
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu warned against military action while coalition talks proceed.
"Even before a government has been established, the drums of war are being beaten for vested interests. War is not a child's game nor a vehicle to renew one's image," Kilicdaroglu wrote on his official Twitter account.
"A good politician knows that feeding off chaos and war will bring disaster instead of success. This country is not a plaything for your ambition," he said.
A grand coalition between the AK Party and Kilicdaroglu's CHP is seen as a possible option, though the CHP has made clear it would not back Erdogan's ambition to change the constitution and create for him the powerful executive presidency he envisaged when he surrendered the post of prime minister.
Critics of Erdogan believe he would prefer to allow coalition talks to fail and call new elections in the hope a population wary of political paralysis or chaos would restore the AK Party's majority in full. Erdogan denies such notions.
U.S. reaction
Speculation about possible military moves grew after Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey would never allow the formation of a Kurdish state along its southern borders.
Syrian Kurdish forces have made military advances against Islamic State militants with Ankara fearing the creation of an autonomous Kurdish state in Syrian territory that would further embolden Turkey's own 14 million Kurds.
Abdulkadir Selvi, a columnist close to the government, wrote in the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper on Tuesday that Turkey was set to create a buffer zone in Syria 110 km (70 miles) long and 33 km deep in the Jarablus region, which is currently under control of Islamic State, also known as ISIL.
"Are we going to war with Syria? No. Are we going to war with ISIL? No. Are we going into Syria? Yes, probably. So what will we do? Establish a buffer zone," he said.
Artillery from within Turkey's borders will aim to secure control, but the deployment of military units within Syria is also envisaged, he said.
He said the military was seeking a written directive for such a deployment and that Davutoglu was getting it prepared.
Turkey kept limited army contingents in northern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War put the area beyond Baghdad's control. But the generals are widely reported to be reluctant to launch any widescale operations on Syrian soil.
Stripped of their political influence during Erdogan's years in power, they are ill inclined to make any public comment.
Selvi said Ankara was also conducting diplomatic efforts related to its plans, raising the question of what the reaction from Washington would be.
The State Department said on Monday there were "serious logistical challenges" in creating such buffer zones, but that it had not seen any concrete evidence Turkey was considering such a move.


Clic here to read the story from its source.