SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict," Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said in an interview Wednesday morning. (Photo: Reformlar.gov.tr)
As Tensions Soar, Turkey Warns US Bombing of Syria Could Set Entire Middle East 'on Fire'
"If an attack occurs against the forces backed by Russia or there is an attack by the U.S.-supported forces, Russia won't be able to stay away. So, serious clashes may start."
Apr 11, 2018
As fears of a possible direct conflict between Russia and the United States mounted after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Moscow to "get ready" for missiles that "will be coming" at Syria in a series of tweets, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said in an interview Wednesday morning that a clash between the two nuclear powers in Syria could have devastating consequences across the Middle East.
"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict."
--Nurettin Canikli, Turkish Defense Minister"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict," Canikli said in an interview on 24TV, a Turkish news broadcast.
"If an attack occurs against the forces [in Syria] backed by Russia or there is an attack by the U.S.-supported forces, Russia won't be able to stay away, otherwise it will lose its influence. So, serious clashes may start," Canikli added, urging the U.S., Russian, and Syrian governments to "act with restraint."
The Turkish defense minister's stark warning comes on the heels of several early morning tweets by Trump that intensified concerns that the U.S. is preparing to launch a military attack on Syria, risking a direct confrontation with Russian forces stationed in the country.
In an interview Tuesday night ahead of Trump's series of tweets--which insisted that poor relations between Russia and the U.S. are largely due to special counsel Robert Mueller's collusion probe--Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin warned that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria will be "downed" along with "the sources from which the missiles were fired."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As fears of a possible direct conflict between Russia and the United States mounted after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Moscow to "get ready" for missiles that "will be coming" at Syria in a series of tweets, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said in an interview Wednesday morning that a clash between the two nuclear powers in Syria could have devastating consequences across the Middle East.
"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict."
--Nurettin Canikli, Turkish Defense Minister"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict," Canikli said in an interview on 24TV, a Turkish news broadcast.
"If an attack occurs against the forces [in Syria] backed by Russia or there is an attack by the U.S.-supported forces, Russia won't be able to stay away, otherwise it will lose its influence. So, serious clashes may start," Canikli added, urging the U.S., Russian, and Syrian governments to "act with restraint."
The Turkish defense minister's stark warning comes on the heels of several early morning tweets by Trump that intensified concerns that the U.S. is preparing to launch a military attack on Syria, risking a direct confrontation with Russian forces stationed in the country.
In an interview Tuesday night ahead of Trump's series of tweets--which insisted that poor relations between Russia and the U.S. are largely due to special counsel Robert Mueller's collusion probe--Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin warned that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria will be "downed" along with "the sources from which the missiles were fired."
As fears of a possible direct conflict between Russia and the United States mounted after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Moscow to "get ready" for missiles that "will be coming" at Syria in a series of tweets, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said in an interview Wednesday morning that a clash between the two nuclear powers in Syria could have devastating consequences across the Middle East.
"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict."
--Nurettin Canikli, Turkish Defense Minister"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict," Canikli said in an interview on 24TV, a Turkish news broadcast.
"If an attack occurs against the forces [in Syria] backed by Russia or there is an attack by the U.S.-supported forces, Russia won't be able to stay away, otherwise it will lose its influence. So, serious clashes may start," Canikli added, urging the U.S., Russian, and Syrian governments to "act with restraint."
The Turkish defense minister's stark warning comes on the heels of several early morning tweets by Trump that intensified concerns that the U.S. is preparing to launch a military attack on Syria, risking a direct confrontation with Russian forces stationed in the country.
In an interview Tuesday night ahead of Trump's series of tweets--which insisted that poor relations between Russia and the U.S. are largely due to special counsel Robert Mueller's collusion probe--Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin warned that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria will be "downed" along with "the sources from which the missiles were fired."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.