Turkish Parliament approves motion on Syria

Turkish Parliament has extended yesterday the government's authorization to send troops into Syria by a year despite objections from the opposition party that the move could drag the nation into war. The motion was extended primarily because of the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime as well as the threat posed to national security of the country by mass migration from Syria. Stressing the need for renewal of the motion in his address to Parliament before the vote, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz said, "What we want is not war, but to stop the ongoing war," adding that all sorts of precautions for the security of Turkey and its people were being taken within the framework of new rules of engagement and in the face security risks posed from Syria. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) voted in favor of the motion, while the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) voted against the motion.