There are international news reports that claim Turkish military forces have entered Syrian territory and have established positions near the towns of Azaz and Afrin. If these international news reports are true, then Turkey has essentially declared war on the Assad regime.
In February, I warned that escalating tensions in the region could be the spark that sets off World War III, but things seemed to cool down a bit in March and April. However, this latest move by Turkey threatens to take the war in Syria to a whole new level, and everyone will be watching to see how the Russians and the Iranians respond to this ground incursion.
So far, it is the Russian media that's taking the lead in reporting about this movement of Syrian forces. For example, the Sputnik news agency was one of the first to report Turkish military activity around the town of Azaz:
Amid violent clashes between militants of Daesh and troops of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the town of Azaz in northern Aleppo district, reports are surfacing suggesting that the Turkish Army units have been seen located in the district of Azaz.
In addition, Sputnik claims that Turkish military forces entered a small village called Hamam near the town of Afrin on Saturday.
"Two days ago, the Turkish military entered the village of Hamam in Afrin area. We are ready to repel any attack. Meanwhile, FSA units are suffering serious defeat in clashes with Daesh. They have already lost control of 12 villages. If Daesh comes to Azaz, 'Democratic Syrian Forces' will repel the jihadists, and not allow them to enter the city," Arac stressed.