The Latest from Turkey (12 October): Ankara's Dangerous Game with Moscow

See also The Latest from Israel-Palestine (12 October): What Will Israeli Elections Bring?
Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Feuding About a Plane --- Meanwhile, 200+ Die

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1600 GMT: Turkey halts civilian flights over Syria.

1430 GMT: A motion submitted by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to censure Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu over accusations that he conducts a dangerous and risky foreign policy was rejected by the Parliament.

1235 GMT: Following the bombardment of the Syrian border town of Azmarin by Syrian helicopters, two Turkish jets departed to the border.

Dozens of Turkish tanks located at various districts of the south-eastern province of Sanliurfa have targeted the Syrian border.

1030 GMT: German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is coming to Ankara to have talks on Syria with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

Ties with Russia Souring

 The latest chapter in Turkish-Russian tensions started with Tuesday's arms deal signed between Russia and Iraq, worth more than $4.2 billion. According to Russian defense sources, Moscow will supply 36 Mi-28NE attack helicopters and 48 Pantsir-S1 mobile air defence systems, the same type that Syria used to shoot down a Turkish jet in June. In addition, MiG-29M/M2 interceptor jets could be sold --- in which case Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will no have to beg any more for F-16s from Washington..

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to postpone his visit to the Turkey-Russia High Level Cooperation Council, scheduled in Ankara for Sunday and Monday.

Less than 48 hours passed before a a Damascus-bound passenger plane departed from Moscow was forced to land in Ankara. PM Erdogan announced that Russian-made munitions were found on the plane.

Washington's reaction was firm: "Any transfer of any military equipment to the Syrian regime at this time is very concerning, and we look forward to hearing more from the Turkish side when they get to the bottom of what they found." Meanwhile, Russian officials denied such reports.

Questions: did Putin postpone his planned visit because he got information from his counter-espionage service about what was to happen? Was the plane intercepted because of a strain in relations, peaking with with Putin's call?

Erdogan had visited Moscow in June to see if Putin could come to terms with a plan, led by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, to leave the Assad regime in power during a transition process while expanding alternative options for the post-Assad era.

Those "new horizons" could not be opened, however, and the stalemate over Syria has finally brought the two countries to rhetorical. We do not know what guarantees Ankara has received from Washington, but the US risks loses bargaining chips over Iraq while Turkey risks limits to its ability to maneouvre --- that in turn hinders Ankara's approach to the Kurdish issue, inside its borders and inside Syria.

The Democratic Union Party in Syria has already established two brigades. In response, the Turkish Parliament passed a motion on Thursday authorising military operations against the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq for another year.

PKK's Top Man Speaks

PKK's leader Murat Karayilan, in an interview with BBC Turkish, denies reports that the separatist group has been receiving support from Syria and Iran. Having said that never aim at killing innocents, Karayilan sent a message to the European Union and the US:

Until they recognize the Kurds' existence in the Middle East and the Kurdish problem is solved; peace, stability and democracy cannot be developed in the region. Kurdish people are not terrorists. Kurds in the middle East want peace and democracy.

Call to the Muslim World

In an opening address to the International Business Forum (IBF), Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will see robust growth in 2013 as it diversifies its export markets and boosts trade ties with fellow Muslim nations.