A direct line between US and Turkey over tensions with Syria

The Lebanese daily al-Nahar published in Beirut on Tuesday said, quoting well-informed diplomatic sources, that the US had opened a direct line with Ankara to convince it against any military act against Syria, at a time when US President Bill Clinton is exerting great efforts to revive Palestinian - Israeli negotiations and, if these efforts succeed, to launch the Lebanese and Syrian tracks.

The sources stated that urgent military reports Washington received from Ankara about the preparations made by the Turkish Army made it inevitable to keep the lines open between the US and Turkish capitals.

The sources added that Turkey was told that any Turkish military strike inside Syrian territories, even if it was targeted the positions of the Kurdish Workers Party will not be accepted, because it will be directed against the current US efforts to relaunch negotiations on the Palestinian track.

The sources said that a similar Turkish strike against the Bekaa plain in Lebanon would also be opposed by the US.