Syrian General, Troops Defect to Turkey

Turkey Touts Defections as Syria Loses 14th General

A group of 293 Syrians, mostly women and children fleeing the civil war, arrived in Turkey’s Reyhanli today. The group included dozens of Syrian soldiers as well, including a general and several other officers.

The general, who has yet to be identified, is the second general to leave the country for Turkey in less than two weeks, and the 14th overall since the civil war began. Turkish officials touted the news, saying that the defections are becoming more organized.

The Syrian National Council, the self-proclaimed rebel leadership, also cheered the defections, saying they proved that the regime is “dissolving” and had lost all support internally. Most of the troops defecting to Turkey have joined the Free Syrian Army, a rebel force openly backed by Turkey.

Tensions between Turkey and Syria have continued to rise in recent days, with Turkey once again reporting today that it scrambled fighter jets on claims Syrian helicopters were “close” to their border.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.