Erdogan adviser says Syria attack on Turkey would be suicide

ISTANBUL – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief adviser is brushing aside concerns that a U.S. strike against Syria could provoke Damascus to attack Turkey.

Yalcin Akdogan says that is unlikely because the consequence of attacking a more powerful neighbor would be too great.

In a report published Monday, the Turkish daily Aksam quoted Akdogan as saying that an attack on Turkey "would be madness and suicide."

He added: "That would amount to an attack on a NATO country and things would take a different turn."

Some analysts have warned that Syria could respond to a U.S.-led airstrike by retaliating against U.S. allies in the region such as Turkey and Israel.