FILE: Damascus, Syria - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese Mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/Al-Arabiya TV)
1. Syrian national flag
2. Traffic

FILE: Afrin, Syria - Feb 10-11, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese Mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/Al-Arabiya TV)
3. Black smoke rising into air after fighting

Istanbul, Turkey - April 15, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Hasan Koni, professor of international relationship, Istanbul Kultur University (ending with shot 5):
"You realize that the Kurdish issue for Turkey was the main issue. On the other hand, we are not just against the president of Syria staying in power. You see in some part, we have some common interests."

FILE: Ankara, Turkey - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese Mainland)
5. Various of Turkish national flag
6. Traffic on street

Istanbul, Turkey - April 15, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Hasan Koni, professor of international relationship, Istanbul Kultur University:
"Now, it's a very uncertain, unstable balance of power. One wrong step can cause big problems, so it's not a real balance."

Eastern Ghouta, Damascus, Syria - March 25, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/Al-Arabiya TV)
8. Buses waiting to depart
9. Evacuees getting on bus
10. Bus full of evacuees departing
11. Traffic
12. Various of rebels, military vehicles

Turkey is trying to keep a balance of interest between Russia and the United States over the Syrian crisis, but the involvement of major powers has made the geopolitical situation more complicated and pose great political risk to Turkey, said Dr. Hasan Koni, a professor of international relationship from the Istanbul Kultur University.

Turkey is caught in the middle of a fight while its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to act as a mediator trying to de-escalate the situation that could lead to a wider global conflict.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Saturday welcomed the U.S.-led air strikes in Syria, saying that they were an appropriate reaction to the suspected chemical attack against civilians.

However, Erdogan just met Russian and Iranian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani, on April 4 to discuss the settlement of the Syrian issue. Turkey has been working with Russia and Iran through the so-called Astana process to achieve peace in Syria, but it has rejected direct dialogue with Damascus until now.

Turkey has a dispute with Russia and Iran over whether to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and as a NATO member, it holds different position with the United States on the Kurdish issue.

Though the Kurdish issue is a major concern for Turkey, Dr. Koni said Turkey and the United States can still work together because of overlapping interests.

"You realize that the Kurdish issue for Turkey was the main issue. On the other hand, we are not just against the president of Syria staying in power. You see in some part, we have some common interests," said Dr. Koni.

Striking a balance between Russia and the United States in the Syrian issue is in the interest of Turkey. However, the geopolitical situations have become more complicated as more countries are involved, therefore, Turkey is faced with more political risks, Dr. Koni noted.

"Now, it's a very uncertain, unstable balance of power. One wrong step can cause big problems, so it's not a real balance," said Dr. Koni.

The U.S., Britain and France hit Syrian military facilities with a wave of joint airstrikes early Saturday in response to an alleged chemical attack blamed on the Syrian military, sparking an outcry from Syria, Russia and Iran.