No revolutionary uprising in the Arab world has been as sectarian as the Syrian crisis, but the uniqueness of the Syrian case is partly because it was inevitable for Syria to muddle into this dark religious divide.

The most serious split is between the Alawites and the Sunnis. Although there has always been talk of successful coexistence among the different sects in Syria, the truth is out there on the streets across the country. The majority-Sunni population is full of anger, resentment and violent retribution for the more than four decades of rule by the Assad family, which comes from the minority Alawite sect.

While the Syrian opposition may say all the right things to Western ears — that Syrians are Syrians first and that the Alawite community should not feel intimidated — there is nonetheless an underlying and worrying sectarianism in their message. In neighboring Turkey, for example, where more than 100 thousand Syrians fled to safety, there is not even one Alawite. There is a civil war underway in Syria, and it’s not only Assad’s killing machine that is ending lives.

While Turkey is actively seeking regime change in Syria, the Islamist-based Erdogan government argues that they have no sectarian-motivated ambitions for the newly shaping majority-Sunni Arab world. Often shown as a model to its immediate Muslim neighborhood, Turkey unfortunately, not only risks failing to lead by example at this critical turning point for the region, but also underestimates critical perceptions about its policies.