Commentary: Syrian situation threatens to spin out of control

Although peace and stability remain possible for Syria, its internal crisis is on the brink of escalating into a regional conflict and even getting completely out of control, as Turkey's and Saudi Arabia's plans to send ground forces may cause further turbulence.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia could launch a ground operation in Syria against the Islamic State (IS) militant group, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying last Saturday. Such action would further complicate the situation.

Riyadh could send troops "if the necessary time comes for a ground operation," Cavusoglu said after attending the Munich Security Conference, adding that Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been backing a ground operation in Syria "from the very beginning."

There was a possibility of sending ground forces to Syria if the peace plan fails and Russia and Iran did not help U.S. efforts, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last week.

"Let me reiterate that no one is interested in a new war," Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told Euronews TV station as a response on Sunday, adding that any ground operation in Syria will lead to "a full-fledged, long war."

The Syrian government has gained much progress in its offensives against rebels since Russia launched airstrikes to eliminate the IS last September, but possible ground operations by Saudi Arabia and Turkey send a dangerous message.

Although the two countries have promised to only launch ground operations with consent from the U.S.-led coalition against the IS, their recent move has caused tension among Western countries.

A conflict may fully erupt if forces from the two countries clash with Russia in the Syrian territory, which would cause the U.S. and other Western countries to interfere in the situation.

Terrorist groups such as the IS feed on the regional political vacuum and the turmoil in the Middle East. If the Syrian situation escalates, the Syrian people will suffer while terrorism spreads in the country.

Since its start in 2011, the Syrian war is estimated to have killed 250,000 people, internally displaced 6.5 million and caused more than 4 million to flee the country. About 13.5 million people inside the country are now in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

It is in the interest of people all around the world to end the Syrian conflict as soon as possible and restore peace and stability in the Middle East, and peace talks are the only practical way out.

"A political settlement is the only right way out of the Syrian crisis and is in the fundamental interests of the Syrian people. We will make unremitting efforts to achieve this goal," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after meeting with his British counterpart Philip Hammond last month.

The world does not lack the ability or resources for the use of force, but steadfast determination and action for a political solution, Wang said.

"The path leading to a political settlement may be difficult, but it is an effective tool to fundamentally resolve the problem," he said. Endi