The deployment of Saudi jets and forces to Turkey’s İncirlik military base has prompted speculation of an imminent ground invasion of Syria. The Saudis say that Syrian President Assad must go and declare that they want to defeat ISIS, but what are they really doing in the region? The Independent reports: Confirmation of the Saudi deployment came from the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, and shows a calibrated policy by two states, who consider themselves to be heavyweights and who are both currently badly losing out in Syria. Mr Cavusoglu said that Turkey and Saudi Arabia have “always emphasised the need for an extensive result-oriented strategy in the fight against the Daesh (Isis) terrorist group…. Turkey and Saudi Arabia may launch an operation from the land.” But this is less to do with Isis and much more with the fact that Sunni rebels, backed by Saudis and the Turks, are rapidly losing ground to the forces of Bashar al-Assad, supported by a ferocious Russian air onslaught, Iranian ‘volunteers’ and fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah. There is added exasperation, from the Turkish point of view, that some of this territory is being taken over by Kurdish forces. The Incerlik gambit comes against [...]