Erstellt am: 31. 7. 2012 - 14:55 Uhr

Turkey, the Kurds and the Syrian crisis

Reality Check: Turkey's changing relationship with Syria, Ye Shiwen - controversy over the fastest woman in the water

As the situation in Syria seems to deteriorate by the day, Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and US President Barack Obama were on the phone yesterday talking about how to speed up political transition if and when President Assad falls. Turkey and Syria had a close relationship in the late 1990s after Syria stopped supporting the Kurdish rebel PKK in their attacks on Turkey. In fact, Syria drove the PKK out of the country, and diplomatic ties between Syria and Turkey became better and better - until the Arab Spring. Now the Kurds are on the rise again in Syria, and Turkey is feeling uncomfortable, to say the least, fearing that the Kurdish movement in Syria will lead to more trouble in the Kurdish regions of Turkey.

Turkey correspondent and analyst, Andrew Finkel, told Joanna Bostock about the changing relationship between Syria and Turkey.

"Impossible" and "Unbelievable" - Ye Shiwen

At 16, she's swimming faster at times than the fastest men - and that's making some people suspicious. Ye Shiwen's astounding performance at the Olympic games has become a centre of controversy, but some scientists say it could all be down to "growth spurts". Kate Farmer has been looking at the story, and what the experts are saying.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.