Syria Says Turkey Sending Terrorists to Wage War
Syria accused Turkey on Thursday of playing a “fundamental role” in supporting terrorism by opening its airport and border to al Qaeda and other jihadists to carry out attacks inside Syria.
Once close allies, the two countries’ relationship quickly deteriorated as President Bashar al-Assad intensified a crackdown in a 17-month-old uprising against his rule.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has called on Assad to leave and Ankara has set up a sprawling refugee camp along the border which houses thousands of Syrian refugees.
Several military officers have defected to Turkey and the nominal commander of the Free Syrian Army, a loosely coordinated group of insurgents fighting Assad’s forces, is also based there.
“The Turkish government plays a fundamental role in supporting terrorism by opening its airport and borders to host al Qaeda elements, jihadists and salafists,” Syria’s foreign ministry said in a statement circulated on state television.