Syria-Turkey border tension unlikely to evolve into war

DAMASCUS, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The cross-border tension between Syria and Turkey, which has been gaining momentum since last week, is unlikely to amount to a full-fledged war between both countries, in part due to the willingness by both sides of avoiding a wider Middle East conflict, analysts said.

Syria is now facing both fierce fights with opposition rebels and border tension with Turkey, following the Turkish army's bombarded on some targets in Syria in retaliation to the Syrian shelling of a Turkish border town that killed five civilians during clashes between Syrian army and rebels on border towns.

The Turkish government said recently that it would not stand idle before such kinds of "provocations" from the Syrian regime, while the Turkish parliament authorized a mandate to approve cross- border military action into Syria in response to the death of five civilians. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country has no intention to start war in the region, but cautioned Damascus not to test Turkey's "limits and determination."

Syria also responded by saying that the border tension should be handled with "wisdom and prudence."

Still, the border skirmishes have continued for the ensuing six days but with no reports of casualties or injuries.

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