Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a long-established U.S. ally — albeit one with which we have had strong disagreements from time to time.

In recent days the Syrian regime of dictator Bashar Assad has fired on Turkish territory, killing several civilians. The Turks are now firing back with artillery in response.

Of course, under the international laws of self-defense, Turkey has every right to do so.

Tens of thousands of Syrians have fled into Turkey, where the Turks are housing 90,000 refugees. Assad fears, with reason, that this border strip could become a lethal base for sending large numbers of rebels into Syria, perhaps armed by Ankara. So Damascus is mortaring some villages, apparently to scare rebels and their families.

We realize that there is a broad range of people among those fighting to overthrow the regime; these include Islamic fanatics. But most are simply people who want to cast off a two-generation dynastic tyranny and fervently wish for democracy in Syria.

The United States should provide more aid to democratic forces, while being careful about handing out weapons themselves, lest they fall into the wrong hands, and make it clearer to the Turks that we will come to their aid if necessary when they are attacked by Assad’s forces.

It is in the U.S. national interest to do more to help anti-Assad forces, including the Turks, remove the dictator.

— The Providence (R.I.) Journal