Turkey deploys ground-to-air missiles to Syrian border

1WC'sChannel REVIEW 2012: Turkish military trucks carry missile batteries on June 28, 2012 in the center of Hatay. (TINJAUAN 1WC'sChannel 2012: trak tentera Turki membawa bateri peluru berpandu pada 28 Jun 2012 di pusat Hatay. (Foto/IHLAS agensi berita AFP)

Turki melaksanakan peluru berpandu darat-ke-udara ke sempadan Syria

By Mardiana hamden | earthWatch REVIEW2012: 23, July, 2012

Sebuah kereta api yang membawa bateri beberapa peluru berpandu dan pembawa askar telah tiba di bandar tenggara Turki Mardin, laporan.agensi berita Anatolia negeri Langkah itu datang sebulan selepas Syria dijatuhkan jet Turki kerana melanggar ruang udara. Konvoi termasuk sekurang-kurangnya 5 kenderaan pengangkutan yang membawa peluru berpandu, menurut rakaman yang dikeluarkan oleh saluran berita NTV.

Pada bulan Jun, Ankara dikerahkan beberapa kereta kebal dan kenderaan tentera (deployed a number of tanks and military vehicles) wilayah Diyarbakir pinggiran, manakala bateri peluru berpandu ditempatkan di wilayah Hatay ke barat sempadan Syria. Langkah terbaru datang sebagai pemberontak Syria dilaporkan mengambil kawalan 3 jawatan sempadan dengan Turki. Beberapa pejuang-pejuang yang dipercayai berada di dalam kawalan jawatan Bab al-Hawa mendakwa setia kepada al-Qaeda, manakala lain yang dikenal pasti diri mereka sebagai ahli kumpulan yang dikenali sebagai Shura Taliban.

Pas sempadan telah diambil alih sebagai sebahagian daripada serangan pemberontak terhadap kuasa-kuasa kerajaan. Beban serangan itu telah tertumpu pada kubu kuat rejim seperti Aleppo dan Damsyik (such as Aleppo and Damascus). Hubungan antara Turki dan Syria telah semakin teruk sejak awal pemberontakan tahun lepas. Turki telah menjadi tuan rumah kepada beberapa mesyuarat antara pembangkang Syria berpecah, dan Istanbul adalah asas Syria Majlis Negara (SNC), diiktiraf oleh beberapa kuasa-kuasa Barat sebagai wakil sah rakyat Syria.

Bulan lepas, Syria tembak jatuh jet F-4 Phantom Turki (shot down a Turkish F-4 Phantom jet), berkata ia telah melanggar ruang udara. Damsyik juga menawarkan untuk meminta maaf kerana insiden dan selepas kematian 2 juruterbang. Turki, bagaimanapun, kata Downing jet adalah suatu perbuatan pencerobohan pada sebahagian Syria, mendakwa pesawat itu tidak menyeberangi sempadan dengan sengaja, dan telah ditembak jatuh tanpa amaran selepas terbang kembali ke angkasa antarabangsa. Ankara kemudian memanggil mesyuarat NATO berhubung kejadian itu. Perikatan mengutuk kejadian itu, tetapi tidak mengambil apa-apa tindakan yang serius terhadap Syria.

Berikutan kejadian itu, Perdana Menteri Turki Recep Tayyip Erdogan berkata kerajaan pimpinan beliau kini dianggap Syria sebagai "ancaman yang jelas dan wujud."

Turkey deploys ground-to-air missiles to Syrian border

A train carrying several batteries of missiles and troop carriers has arrived in the southeast Turkish city of Mardin, the Anatolia state news agency reports. The move comes a month after Syria downed a Turkish jet for violating its airspace. The convoy included at least five transport vehicles carrying missiles, according to footage released by the NTV news channel.

In June, Ankara deployed a number of tanks and military vehicles to the borderline Diyarbakir province, while missile batteries were stationed in the Hatay province to the west of the Syrian border.   The latest move comes as Syrian rebels reportedly took control of three border posts with Turkey. Some of the fighters believed to be in control of the Bab al-Hawa post claimed allegiance to al-Qaeda, while others identified themselves as members of a group called Shura Taliban.

The border posts were taken over as part of a rebel offensive against government forces. The brunt of the attack was concentrated on regime strongholds such as Aleppo and Damascus. Relations between Turkey and Syria have been worsening since the beginning of the uprising last year. Turkey has been host to a number of meetings between the fragmented Syrian opposition, and Istanbul is the base of the Syrian National Council (SNC), recognized by a number of Western powers as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

Last month, Syria shot down a Turkish F-4 Phantom jet, saying it had violated its airspace. Damascus also offered an apology for the incident and the subsequent death of the two pilots.  Turkey, however, said the downing of the jet was an act of aggression on Syria’s part, claiming the plane did not cross the border on purpose, and was shot down without warning after flying back into international space. Ankara then called a NATO meeting over the incident. The alliance condemned the incident, but did not take any serious actions against Syria.

Following the incident, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government now regarded Syria as a “clear and immanent threat.”