The United Nations Security Council condemned this week’s cross-border mortar fire from Syria into Turkey, in which five Turkish civilians were killed. Calling on Syria to “fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of its neighbors, the UNSC stressed the “grave impact the crisis in Syria has on the security of its neighbors and on regional peace and stability.” While stopping short of authorizing military action in the face of Russian objections, the resolution does permit Turkey to create a safe-haven for Syrian refugees. Independent intelligence assessments evaluate that such a haven, while serving a humanitarian purpose, would permit the opposition to “consolidate in the Turkish safe haven and try to spread southward” and would be “a step in [the] direction” of a regional war.

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