The Turkish parliament's approval of military operations outside
Turkey on Thursday has reignited calls from Syrian opposition activists
for international intervention a day after shelling from Syria killed
five Turkish civilians.
"It's a good sign," said Hozan Ibrahim, a
member of the Syrian National Council, based in Berlin. "Turkey has
signaled both to the Syrian regime and the international community a
willingness to intervene."
The Turkish parliament's authorization
means that armed forces would be able to go into Syria without support
from its allies, a decision Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said had
"deterrent qualities."
The vote came after two Turkish women and
three of their daughters were killed when shells fired from Syria hit
their home in the border village of Akcakale. Many Syrians have fled to
this area to escape the violence, and some are helping the rebellion
against Syria dictator Bashar Assad.
The Turkish government said
the Syrian regime had accepted responsibility for the shelling and had
apologized for the deaths. Atalay said the vote is not approval for war
but simply that Turkey's military will have the right to respond to
future attacks.
Some activists said they hoped the decision could mean military intervention from the West.
"We
are hoping that this announcement from Turkey will focus the minds of
the international community and highlight the dangers of
non-intervention," said Anas Al-Abdah, chairman of the Movement for
Justice and Development, a Syrian political party based in London. "If
the international community does not intervene, then the conflict spills
out over borders and escalates."
Activists have been asking for
military help from the West since shortly after the beginning of the
conflict 19 months ago. About 30,000 people have been killed by Assad's
military, according to opposition estimates.
Turkey's response is
the first time that any government has endorsed military action against
Assad. But some say the response is "just a reaction," not the start of
outside assistance.
"Nothing will happen, just talking," said Abu
Aboud, 35, a former officer in the Syrian Army who defected to the
opposition forces two months ago."Turkey won't go to war with Syria," he
said. "They (the Turkish military) won't take the risk - Syria has a
strong military."
Turkey stated last year that it sides with the
opposition against Assad and has given fighters of the Free Syrian Army
safe haven along its border. It also hosts the opposition Syrian
National Council in Istanbul.Turkey is also a haven to an estimated
90,000 refugees from Syria.
Though many here say Turkey would not involve itself directly in a fight with Syria, analysts warn of the dangers of escalation.
"Even
though both camps do not want a war, there might be a war via
miscalculation for all we know," said Fawaz Gerges, director of the
Middle East Center at the London School of Economics.
USA Today