A Game of Chicken Between Turkey and Syria ?

M K Bhadrakumar:

[Turkey and Syria] match each other in assertiveness. For Turkey, pressing ahead means intervention in Syria. Backing off involves loss of face.

On the other hand, saving face requires that Syria backs off, which it is in no mood to do [..] History will have to judge whether Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was irrationally assertive following an iftar

I think Turkey is not bluffing and it really does mean business. Especially if we consider what appears to be concerted words and actions by Saudi Arabia (and the rest of the GCC) and France against Damascus.

But to me the biggest indicator of Turkey’s seriousness? Mr. Walid Jumblat (a.k.a the weathervane) is there.