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Analysis

The potential for Syria’s revolt-turned-civil war engulfing the wider region seems to be growing by the day.

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Turkey and Syria continue to trade daily shell fire since five Turkish civilians in the border town of Akcakale were killed by the Syrian military last week. On Wednesday, a Syrian Arab Airlines passenger jet en route from Moscow to Damascus was forced to land in Ankara by two Turkish F16 fighter jets.

Tellingly, a meeting of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president and a chief ally of the Syrian regime, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, set to take place in Ankara next week, has been abandoned.

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Oil prices have surged, in part because of the potential for all-out war between two of the region’s most important players.

But observers believe a Turkish invasion of Syria could do more harm than good, failing to help the rebels, inspiring a revolt by Syrian Kurds against Ankara and leading to a prolonged conflict that could become a breeding ground for jihadists.