Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — Turkey has expressed concern that Syria is forging an
alliance with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

Officials said Turkey’s military and intelligence community were closely
monitoring signs for an alliance between Syrian President Bashar Assad and
the PKK. They said Assad is believed to have been sending Kurdish
insurgents to conduct attacks in Turkey in retaliation for Ankara’s support
for the Syrian opposition.

“I would strongly suggest and would expect that [Damascus] would not get involved in such a dangerous game,” Turkish President Abdullah Gul said.

Gul, in remarks made to Western media, warned Assad against harboring PKK fighters. The president, regarded as close to Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, said Turkey was closely following any links between the Damascus regime and the Kurdish rebel movement.

Officials said Turkey’s intelligence community has determined a link between Assad and a PKK attack that killed 24 soldiers in October. They said the PKK fighters were believed to have been equipped by Assad’s security forces and entered Turkey from Syria.

Turkey has been the leading supporter of the opposition to Assad. Over
the last three months, Ankara has hosted thousands of Syrian refugees,
including members of the Free Syrian Army, sworn to topple the Damascus
regime.

Officials said Syrian support to the PKK was facilitated by Iran. They
said Iran has sought to intensify weapons shipments to Syria, but several of
them were intercepted by Turkey.

“When we talk to Iran, we always tell them that we are not against the
Syrian regime due to pressure imposed by any other country,” Gul said. “It
is because of and for the people of Syria.”

  Abdullah Gul, Ankara, Bashar Assad, Damascus, Free Syrian Army, PKK, Recep Erdogan, Turkey warns Syria’s Assad playing ‘dangerous game’ with Kurds