Turkey Intercepts Syrian Jetliner

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Oct. 12, 2012
All Rights Reserved.                                         

        Intercepting a Syrian airliner containing war materiel from Russia, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan forced a landing in Ankara.  Calling it an act of “air piracy,” Damascus accused Turkey of endangering the lives of Russian passengers.  No one on the flight knew there was more than luggage in the cargo bay.  Western officials, led by Turkey’s military chief of staff Gen. Necdet Ozel warned that there would be greater consequences if Syria continued to fire shells into Turkey.  “This was munitions from the Russian equivalent of our Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation being sent to the Syrian Defense Ministry,” Erdogan told a press conference.  Syria’s 47-year-old President Bashar al-Assad believes that Turkey conspires with the West to supply arms to insurgents to topple his12-year-old Baathist regime, inherited in 2000 from his deceased father Haffez al-Assad.

            Accused by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as having a weak foreign policy, President Barack Obama has refused to embroil the U.S. military into another civil war.  When the Red Cross July 15 labeled the Syrian conflict, started Jan. 26, 2011, a civil war, it signaled to President Barack Obama to stay out.  While not official, it’s entirely possible the U.S. has already funded a proxy war in Syria—certainly al-Assad thinks so.  Based on an anonymous tip, Erdogan ordered the Airbus A-320 forced down, suspicious it was carrying war materiel to Syria.  Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, estimate that over 30,000 civilians have died in the 18-month-old conflict. “This hostile and deplorable Turkish act is an additional indication of the hostile policy of Erdogan’s government,” read a statement from Syria’s foreign ministry, accusing Ankara of “harboring terrorists.”

            Showing that the Syrian civil war is truly a sticky wicket, two Sunni Islamic groups claimed responsibility for bombing a security compound in central Damascus.  Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah militia denied any involvement, despite the ongoing internecine battle between Sunnis and Syria’s Shiites.  Whether admitted to or not by Turkey or the West, the fact that unknown Sunni groups bomb Shiite targets inside Damascus raises real doubts about the Islamic groups behind the Syrian revolution.  When McCain called for bombing Syria May 5, there was no way of knowing which group would seize power if al-Assad were ousted.  GOP presidential nominee former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has also backed McCain without knowing the Islamic groups behind the insurgency.  Israel’s Mossad security agency believes that al-Qaeda and radical Palestinians are behind the revolt.

              When Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) mixed it up in their only VP debate Oct. 11, they differed sharply on how to deal with al-Assad’s Syria.  Ryan was critical of the Obama administration’s handling of Syria, suggesting that the president was too passive and late supporting insurgent groups.  Biden pointed out that while the U.S. deplores al-Assad’s violence, the U.S. shouldn’t get into another Mideast civil war.  Biden pressed Ryan on what Romney would do differently, denying that he’d put boots on the ground.  “We are determined to control the weapons transfers to a regime that carries out such massacres against civilians.  It is unacceptable that such a transfer is made using our airspace,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, justifying taking the Syrian plane.  While Turkey and the West disagree, Russia and China believe al-Assad has the right to defend his sovereignty.

            Turkey’s Chief of Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel said Turkey would respond “with greater force” if Syria continues to shell inside Turkey’s borders.  Al-Assad’s allies, including Russia and China, believe that little is known about the Sunni groups seeking to topple al-Assad’s government.  Some evidence suggests that al-Qaeda and other radical Palestinian factions have a vested interest in ousting al-Assad’s Alawite Shiite regime.  Both Turkey and Syria depend heavily on Russian natural gas.  “We get 90% of our natural gas from Iran and Russia.  Already the PKK [Kurdish Workers Party] card is being used by Iran against Turkey—so the risks for Turkey of being involved in a  limited operation are huge,” said Turkish officials.  Without calming the border dispute with Turkey, the Syrian conflict could spread around the Mideast.  Turkey needs to deescalate border tensions with Syria.

            U.S., British and French officials need to help resolve Turkey’s growing beef with Syria.  Russia has every right to aid a sovereign ally.  If Turkey wishes to restrict their airspace to prevent Russia from arming al-Assad, they need to let Russia fly alternative routes.  Intercepting a Syria airliner, whatever’s in the cargo bay, is certainly an act of war.  Returning the jetliner should be Turkey’s first priority not further antagonizing the al-Assad regime.  “The earlier Bashar goes, the earlier the transition in Syria will be,” said Socialist French President Francois Hollande.  “The longer it lasts, the greater the risk of civil war, chaos and partition.  I refuse to accept that,” drawing France’s line in the sand.  With over 30,000 war dead since Jan. 26, 2011, al-Assad has already burnt his bridges with the West.  Having sponsored so much terrorism and unrest, it’s time for al-Assad to go.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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