The grave danger of escalation - War danger surge as Ukraine...

The grave danger of escalation -

War danger surge as Ukraine demands Turkey close straits to Russia, Israel bombs Syria.

Ulaş Ateşçi

Yesterday, only hours after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Damascus, Israel launched multiple missile attacks on the city.

Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syria since Washington and the other NATO powers launched their war for regime change in Syria in 2011.

After Syrian and Russian fighter aircraft began joint patrols of the airspace along Syria’s borders in mid-January, 15 Russian warships carried out naval exercises off the Syrian coast last week.
. . . . .

Yesterday, lining up with its NATO allies, Ankara condemned Russia’s decision to recognize Donetsk and Lugansk and its “special operation” in Ukraine.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that his government found the military operation of Russia against Ukraine “unacceptable” and “rejected” it.

A massive contradiction underlies Erdoğan’s policy. Ankara supports NATO’s Ukraine policy and its accelerating war drive against Russia, supplying Kiev with critical Bayraktar TB2 armed drones. It signed a military alliance with Ukraine in 2020.

However, Ankara also has critical military and economic ties with Moscow. Despite US objections, it purchased S-400 air defense systems from Kremlin. It supplies around one-third of its natural gas from Russia through direct pipelines.
Russia is building the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in the southern Turkish city of Mersin. Turkey also imports more than 60 percent of its wheat from Russia.

But whatever Ankara’s ties with Moscow, Ankara forms part of NATO’s war drive against Russia and has supported Kiev in the conflict.

Yesterday, Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar said: “Turkey should not remain neutral in this conflict.” He asked Ankara to close the Turkish straits to Russian ships.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/02/25/turk-f25.html