Turkish-Syrian relations haven't been this low since the 1990s when countries almost went to war over Syria's support for Kurdish separatists in Turkey. Last week Syrian air defenses shot down a Turkish jet, which Syrian government claims entered its territory, prompting Turkey to beef up its military presence on the border.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has given an interview for a Turkish newspaper Cumhurriyet, excerpts of which you can read in Al Jazeera's report, in which he "regretted" the jet incident. He hasn't, however, apologized, adding fuel to fire by accusing Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of interfering in Syria's internal affairs by providing logistical support to Syria's armed opposition, while ignoring anti-government protests in Bahrain.
Turkish-Syrian strategic cooperation over the past decade was one of the success stories of Middle Eastern diplomacy. What was it about and why did it break down so easily last year?
Photo by Kazuhiro Ibuki - Pool/Getty Images.
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