US Pressing Turkey into Confrontation with Syria

Washington is trying to push Turkey and Syria into confrontation, an Iranian MP said, and cautioned that any military confrontation between the two Muslim states will serve the interests of the US and other occupying forces in the region. "The US is trying to coax Turkey into military action against Syria in a bid to spark clashes between the two Muslim countries and overshadow the popular uprisings in the region," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Parviz Sorouri told FNA on Monday. The US, which was once pursuing the policy of invasion against the regional and Islamic countries, is now acting on the basis of a scenario in which Washington just watches conflicts and clashes between Muslim countries, he warned. Sorouri urged Turkey to avoid such a confrontation, and stressed that Ankara should not allow the US use it as a means against Islamic states. The remarks came after media reports said that Turkey may consider cooperating with international powers in the event they decide to intervene militarily in Syria, A report in the Turkish "Hurriyet" newspaper said "Turkey has lost its patience with Syria". According to Ankara officials, Turkish President Abdullah Gul has issued an ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar Assad via his Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who visited Syria last month.