Middle East: The Rules of the Game Have Changed

• 07.27.2015, 13:30
•  Near East,  World

Turkey continues to intensify its actions in the region on the pretext of the terror attack in Turkish city Suruc which killed more than 30 people. In the context of creating "a safe zone" in the Syrian-Turkish border Turkey’s air forces and ground forces are carrying out new strikes against targets controlled by Islamic State in Syria and camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq. Turkish authorities say these strikes will continue until these forces "threaten Turkey’s security".

Following these measures taken by the authorities, attacks on the security forces have intensified. Two Turkish soldiers have been killed and four others have been injured in a car bomb attack in the southeastern province of Diyarbekir, Hurriyet reports. In various districts of Istanbul unidentified gunmen opened fire at police stations. At the same time Turkish media reports that more than 600 suspects have been detained in anti-terror police operations against the Islamic State and PKK.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the military operations against Islamic State and PKK in Iraq have "changed the regional game". "Now there are new conditions," Davutoglu said. "We want everyone to read and asses those new conditions created by our operations in Syria and Iraq once again correctly and review their own position accordingly" Hurriyet reports.

It is expected that Turkish Parliament will hold extraordinary meeting on July 29. A motion for an extraordinary meeting was first filed by the Republican People’s Party. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has already supported the idea.

Following a request by Turkey, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary-general, has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday. NATO Secretary General told BBC that the Turkish request was based on Article 4 of the Nato Treaty which allows members to request such a meeting if their territorial integrity or security is threatened. "When Turkey requests for such a meeting I think it's very right and very timely to have a meeting, where we address the turmoil and the instability we see in Syria, Iraq and surrounding and close to NATO borders of Turkey", he said. It should be noted that such a meeting was called by Turkey in 2003 and 2012.