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August 9, 2012

Iran and Turkey Rattle Sabers over Syria

Not long ago Via Meadia discussed the possibility of an internationalization of the Syria crisis, with Turkey and Iran being the chief belligerents. Events this week are edging closer to a wider Middle East war amid the crumbling wreckage of the Levant:

First, on Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan declared his government’s willingness to invade Syria to crush what might otherwise become a new haven for Turkey’s homegrown terror group, the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK). According to Zaman, Butcher Assad has released from prison 1,200 PKK members and thousands more with connections to the outfit in the hopes of manipulating the different power factions and consituents in Syria:

“These people [will then move] to the Kurdish region in Syria. They are acting together with the Syrian administration,” [Homs rebel spokesman Khaled Abu Saleh] told Today’s Zaman.

According to Saleh, Assad is winning the support of the Kurds by promising to help them establish a Kurdish state. “In this way, he hopes that the Kurds will not become enemies to him. On the other hand, he tries to win the support of Turkmens and Arabs, saying they will have to live under the control of the Kurds if he is removed from office.”

Next, a top Iranian general responded to these overtures with a snarl, warning Turkey that if it justified a cross-border adventure it should expect to be the next victim of one:

“This is not an appropriate precedent, that neighboring countries of Syria contribute to the belligerent purposes of the Great Satan, the United States. If these countries have accepted such a precedent, they must be aware that after Syria, it will be the turn of Turkey and other countries,” [Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Seyed Hassan Firouzabadi] reportedly said.

Firouzabadi added that Iran fears “Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have become victims of promoting the terrorism of al-Qaeda and we warn our friends about this.”

The Iranians know that their regional influence is tied to Assad, and that they must either do damage control or lend even more forward military support to the embattled Syrian regime if they don’t want to see their sphere of influence shrink considerably. Turkey, in addition to having genuine counterterrorism motives, is also beginning to enjoy flexing its muscles as the presumptive new hegemon in the region.

With both sides casting the other as a supporter of “terrorism,” the gates are wide open for even hotter rhetoric—and possibly actions to back it up.

Posted in Iran, Middle East, Quick Takes, Turkey
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  • Mick The Reactionary

    @Mead:

    “Via Meadia discussed the possibility of an internationalization of the Syria crisis, with Turkey and Iran being the chief belligerents. Events this week are edging closer to a wider Middle East war amid the crumbling wreckage of the Levant”

    Amid dismal economic and political news from US and from Europe – a bright shiny light of hope.

    May the brave armies of Turkey and Iran under the wise leadership of talented and experienced generals succeed hugely in the coming battles, both of them.

  • http://fat-city-usa.blogspot.com/ Walter Sobchak

    A wild rumor from a couple of days ago, simply FWIW:

    “Source: Iran readies attacks against Saudi Arabia, Qatar” By Reza Kahlili on 08/01/2012
    http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/01/source-iran-readies-attacks-against-saudi-arabia-qatar/

    Iran is preparing for a direct attack on Saudi Arabia should Syria’s Bashar Assad be in danger of falling to rebel forces that the Islamic regime believes are being supported by the Arab kingdom, according to a source within Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Iran also blames the Saudis for unrest in two of its provinces.

    “Dozens of Iranian ballistic missiles have been preprogrammed to hit Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia,” the source said. “Qatar will also be hit at the same time as it is directly involved with the events in Syria.”

    ===================

    That would upset a lot of apple carts.

  • Kris

    Israel is responsible, one way or another.

    [/sarc]

  • Kenny

    Let Turkey and Iran have at it.

    It would be like two beer-belly drunks going at each other in a gin mill on Saturday night.

  • Nathan

    Those who seem eager for a war here should remember that Turkey is a member of NATO. The USA would likely be drawn into such a fiasco.

    You might still support it even then, but don’t get pipe dreams of sitting on the sidelines and enjoying the show.

  • Michael K

    “It would be like two beer-belly drunks going at each other in a gin mill on Saturday night.”

    Those Turks are tough SOBs.

  • JJ

    Erdogan’s foreign policy was touted as “zero problems” with the neighbors. Israel, Iran, Cyprus, Greece, Syria, Armenia, the EU—Erdogan has somehow gotten to “problems with all the neighbors”. Turkey is now hated and distrusted by everyone in the region to an extent not imagined since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

    The Obama administration, and for some reason, WRM, are still supportive of the AKP. Not sure what that is about.

  • Kenny

    “Those Turks are tough SOBs.”

    So are some beer-belly drunks … but neither win professional prize fights.

  • Jacksonian Libertarian

    Just give war a chance; The Sunnis vs. the Shiites, the rest of the non-Islamic world will be making popcorn and rooting for a truly bloody knock down drag out fight.

  • Mick The Reactionary

    @Nathan:

    “remember that Turkey is a member of NATO”

    Member of What?

  • Mick The Reactionary

    “The Obama administration, and for some reason, WRM, are still supportive of the AKP. Not sure what that is about.”

    US Ruling Class essentially has surrendered to Islam. If islamics don’t fly planes into Wall Street and don’t explode themselves among US troops, they are A-OK in our rulers book.

    So, hard-line Islamist Erdogan is our “friend” because he builds Caliphate slowly.