Turkey issues ultimatum to Syria

[Lord Beria3]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/aug20 ... -a15.shtml

The United States, the European imperialist powers, and their NATO ally, Turkey, are preparing for possible military action against Syria.

Turkey’s foreign minister reportedly presented a letter from Turkish President Abdullah Gul to President Bashar Assad of Syria on Tuesday as an “ultimatum.” In the letter, Gul is believed to have warned his Syrian counterpart that Turkey would consider participating in an international intervention force.

A leaked portion of the letter reads: “I would not want you to look back some day and regret that you acted too little, too late. It is time to show your leadership and courage and lead the way for change instead of getting caught up in the winds of change.”

Turkey has already increased its military presence along the 900-mile border with Syria. The Turkish army has moved two extra brigades to the border and has summoned hundreds of reserve officers for duty.

Speaking to Turkey’s Hurriyat newspaper about Gul’s diplomatic effort, a Turkish government official said that Ankara had been “trying to convince our Western allies to give some more time for Assad to implement reforms… But if a regime is not listening to the advice of its friend and neighbor and continues opening fire on its own people, that regime can no longer be Turkey’s friend.”

Ankara has reportedly warned that it would recall its ambassador to Damascus, as the Gulf sheikdoms have already done, as a prelude to open conflict. The Turkish government has also warned that it would freeze all investments in Syria, believed to be worth some $260 million.

According to diplomatic sources in Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the possibility of military intervention in Syria during a phone call with US President Barack Obama on Thursday. Erdogan reportedly requested that the US authorities postpone issuing an explicit call for Assad to step down until the Syrian leader had responded to Gul’s letter.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was expected to call on Assad to resign during a press conference on Thursday. Seemingly responding to Turkish pressure, she only issued a statement that the Syrian president had suffered a “loss of legitimacy,” and that Washington was seeking to gain the support of other countries in condemning the Assad regime.

Doubt this is going to be a land invasion on the US part (lack of troops), maybe the Turks and Gulf Arabs will be leading this intervention, if it happens?

[kenneal - lagger]

They have to get it through the UN first and how likely is that?

[DominicJ]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_army

Today it is the second-largest army of NATO with 402,000 personnel.

And Turkey has a proper army too, unlike, say, Iraq or Iran or Syria or.....

[Mean Mr Mustard]

It's that heavily militarised because they fear Greek invasion.

[kenneal - lagger]

There's a similar argument used in Greece.

[mindscience]

Greece is heavily militarised? Forgive my ignorance.

[DominicJ]

It still has universal conscription, although I couldnt say wether said conscripts are trained to any level.

I know most German conscripts are effectivly cleaners and waiters.

It spends 3.1% of GDP on defence, high for Europe.

Although the greater size of Turkey gives it almsot double the military budget.

However, Greece is now protected by the Lisbon Treaty, but it remains to be seen if thats a paper shield.