Turkey's running out of time to pick a partner in Syria
Turkey's been playing the field in Syria, but as the crisis escalates, Ankara may have to make a commitment to either its NATO allies or Moscow.
Developments unfolding around the alleged chemical attack in Syria's eastern Ghouta might leave Turkey between a rock and a hard place.
Turkey, which had opened up space for itself in Syria by deftly taking advantage of the competition between the United States and Russia, is now being dragged to a crossroads. If the Western intention to punish the Syrian regime escalates to major clashes, Turkey might not be able to rely on the tactics of its opportunistic policy.
“It's not all that easy to intervene between two superpowers and bring peace to Syria,” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said April 11 during a public meeting in Ankara.
Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Turkish government, which had been pursuing a policy of absolute hostility toward Assad, recently reversed its tradition of blaming the Damascus regime for every disaster.
