Amid Explosions and Clashes, Volatile Turkey-Syria Border Gets More Dangerous -- Time
It’s far from what the Turks had in mind. In late 2009, at the height of its detente with Syria, the Ankara government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan lifted visa requirements for Syrian nationals and floated plans for future energy cooperation, investments, as well a free trade zone. Less then four years later, with its southern neighbor gripped by war, and with Turkey openly calling for the US to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad‘s regime, the border has become a flashpoint. The area — expected to be a crossroads for traders, business people and tourists — now teems with refugees, smugglers and insurgents.
According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), a Brussels-based think tank, 75 people have died in violence along the border since June 2012, when Syrian air defenses shot down a Turkish fighter jet over the Mediterranean. The threat of further bloodshed may be around the corner. On Monday, a pair of Turkish F-16s downed a Syrian helicopter that had crossed into Turkish airspace. “Nobody will dare to violate Turkey’s borders again,” the country’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced. “The necessary measures have been taken.”
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More News On The Tensions On The Syrian - Turkish Border Escalating
Car bomb explodes at Syria-Turkey border crossing -- Reuters
Car bomb hits rebel-held crossing on Syria-Turkey border -- Global Post/AFP
Car bomb blasts Syria, Turkey border crossing near city packed with refugees -- NBC
Car bomb at Syria-Turkey border kills 7 as Syria accuses Turkey of escalating tensions -- Global Post
Syria says downed helicopter was in Turkish airspace but ‘not on combat mission’ -- Euronews
Syria Blames Turkey for Tension After Helicopter Downed -- Bloomberg
Turkey shoots down Syrian helicopter after airspace violation -- Christian Science Monitor
Update: Court Case Reveals Turkey Arms Flow To Syrian Rebels -- Al-Monitor
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