Turkey starts to build new military base near Syria

The Turkish army started to build a new military base on the top of Kel Mountain, which is located near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, Turkish Daily News reported on Sunday. Trucks carrying with military equipment from southern Hatay province were heading to the Kel Mountain, the report said, adding that soldiers have started to assemble the equipment on the top of the mountain. Meanwhile, armored vehicles and tanks have also been dispatched to the southeastern city of Sanliurfa's Mursitpinar border post, according to the report. Turkish army beefed up a military presence near Syrian border last week, as the United States and its allies mull an imminent military action against the Arab country after Syrian rebels accused the government of launching a nerve agent attack near Damascus. Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey could take a role in an international coalition for military intervention in Syria. Turkey, once an ally of Assad but now a leading voice urging his ouster, has reportedly provided Syrian rebel army leaders with sanctuary.