A demonstrator holds a picture depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a protest against Russian military operations in Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015. The picture reads both in Turkish and Russian: ‘Murderer Putin’. In ramping up its military involvement in Syria’s civil war, Russia appears to be betting that the West, horrified by Islamic State’s atrocities, may be willing to tolerate Syrian President Bashar Assad for a while, perhaps as part of a transition. (AP Photo)