* World Bank says China economic slowdown could get worse
* Money managers increase net longs in ICE Brent crude
* Turkey retaliates against Syrian bombing
(Updates prices, comment, detail; paragraphs 6, 7, 11)
By Alice Baghdjian
LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Brent crude oil fell to around$111 per barrel on Monday on concerns THAT slower economicgrowth would curb oil demand, but supply worries stemming fromtension in the Middle East helped check losses.
The World Bank on Monday cut its economic growth forecastsfor East Asia and the Pacific region, home to two of the world'slargest oil consumers, and said there was a risk the slowdown inChina could be deeper and more prolonged than expected.
China has been a prop for the world economy and globalenergy demand at a time of slower growth or recession for manydeveloped nations.
Concerns about Europe persisted, with a fall in industrialorders for Germany, the region's largest economy, while a firmdollar after a surprise drop in the U.S. jobless rate alsocurbed oil prices.
A stronger dollar makes commodities priced in the U.S.currency more expensive for many end-consumers.
Brent crude for November fell to $110.54, down$1.48, before recovering slightly to around $111.20 by 1220 GMT.U.S. crude fell $1.67 to a low of $88.21.
"The situation in China remains fairly uncertain as theWorld Bank cut its growth forecast for East Asia, raisingserious concerns about a slowdown in global oil demand," saidMyrto Sokou, a senior research analyst at Sucden Financial.
The World Bank said the new forecasts marked the slowestgrowth rate in the Asia Pacific region since 2001, even slowerthan the peak of the financial crisis in 2009.
"It's probably China that holds the keys to all this," saidChristopher Bellew, a broker at Jefferies Bache. "This certainlycould have caused the retrace downwards today."
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Graphic - Oil in euros: Graphics - Israel/Iran: For a 24-hr Brent crude chart analysis ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> MIDEAST TENSIONS
Oil continued to draw support from worries about potentialthreats to supply as the Syrian civil conflict drags on and asIran's dispute with the West over its nuclear programmepersists.
Brent crude speculators increased their bets on higher oilprices, raising their net long positions by 6,422 contracts to113,549 in the week to Oct. 2, data published by theIntercontinentalExchange (ICE) showed on Monday.
Turkey returned fire for a fifth day against incomingbombardment from northern Syria. The exchanges are the mostserious cross-border violence in Syria's conflict and highlighthow the crisis could destabilise the region.
"The ongoing shelling of Turkey by Syria is also fuellingconcerns about the conflict in Syria spreading to theneighbouring country," said Carsten Fritsch, oil analyst atCommerzbank in Frankfurt.
"If this were to happen, oil production in the North of Iraqwould be at risk, since the oil is transported to the West viapipelines through Turkey," he said.
The United States and Europe are looking at more economicsanctions to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear programme.
Middle East conflicts and delays in the October loading ofNorth Sea Forties cargoes have pushed Brent's premium
to U.S. crude to its highest since October 2011.
(Additional reporting by Christopher Johnson in London, andFlorence Tan and Manolo Serapio Jr in Singapore; editing by JaneBaird)
((christopher.johnson@thomsonreuters.com)(+44 207 5426056)(Reuters Messaging:christopher.johnson.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: MARKETS OIL/