The likelihood of Turkey being able to invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty is very slim. First, it is important to know what Article 5 says:
Article 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
Technically, of course, everything on the other side of the Bosphorus is not Europe, but Asia. Turkey would naturally claim that, pars pro toto, Europe extends up to the farthest borders of Turkey. However, Turkey is not fighting within its borders but is more the attacker than the attackee. Syria, of course, has the right of self-defense provided by the UN Charter. If Syrian government forces engage a Turkish army invading their territory, which can hardly be considered part of Europe, Turkey can scarcely claim to have been attacked within the meaning of Article 5. Furthermore, an engagement on Syrian soil can hardly be construed as “the North Atlantic area”. So, it is extremely difficult to see how such a situation could be considered to comply with the terms of Article 5, and doubtless the other member states would claim that it did not.
@apotropoxy
@csurz420