Turkey returns fire and warns of war
Source: Agencies |
October 7, 2012, Sunday
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TURKEY returned fire after mortar bombs fired from Syria landed in a field in southern Turkey yesterday, the day after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned Damascus Turkey would not shy away from war if provoked.
It was the fourth day of Turkish strikes in retaliation for mortar bombs and shelling by Syrian forces that killed five Turkish civilians further east on Wednesday.
The strikes and counter-strikes are the most serious cross-border violence in Syria's conflict, which began as a democracy uprising but has evolved into a civil war with sectarian overtones.
NATO-member Turkey was once an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but turned against him after his violent response to an uprising in which more than 30,000 people have died, according to the United Nations.
Turkey has nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees in camps on its territory, has allowed rebel leaders sanctuary and has led calls for Assad to quit. Its armed forces are far larger than Syria's.
Erdogan said on Friday his country did not want war but warned Syria not to make a "fatal mistake" by testing its resolve. Damascus has said its fire hit Turkey accidentally.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu struck a more defensive tone yesterday, saying parliament's authorization of possible cross-border military action was designed as a deterrent.
"With the mandate we did not take a step toward war, we showed the Syrian administration our deterrence, making the necessary warning to prevent a war," he said.
Davutoglu said international mediator on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi would come to Turkey before Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Ankara within 10 days.
Two rounds fired from Syria struck near Guvecci village in Yayladagi yesterday, the Hatay governor's office said. It said the fire appeared to have been aimed by Syrian government forces at rebels along the border. There were no casualties.
The first round landed 50 meters inside Turkey at 7am local time and the Guvecci border post retaliated with four rounds from 81 mm mortars. It fired two further rounds after the second mortar struck around 11:30am.
The governor's office warned people in the area not to go out on balconies or spend time in open places, Dogan news agency said.
There were two similar incidents in Hatay on Friday.
It was the fourth day of Turkish strikes in retaliation for mortar bombs and shelling by Syrian forces that killed five Turkish civilians further east on Wednesday.
The strikes and counter-strikes are the most serious cross-border violence in Syria's conflict, which began as a democracy uprising but has evolved into a civil war with sectarian overtones.
NATO-member Turkey was once an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but turned against him after his violent response to an uprising in which more than 30,000 people have died, according to the United Nations.
Turkey has nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees in camps on its territory, has allowed rebel leaders sanctuary and has led calls for Assad to quit. Its armed forces are far larger than Syria's.
Erdogan said on Friday his country did not want war but warned Syria not to make a "fatal mistake" by testing its resolve. Damascus has said its fire hit Turkey accidentally.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu struck a more defensive tone yesterday, saying parliament's authorization of possible cross-border military action was designed as a deterrent.
"With the mandate we did not take a step toward war, we showed the Syrian administration our deterrence, making the necessary warning to prevent a war," he said.
Davutoglu said international mediator on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi would come to Turkey before Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Ankara within 10 days.
Two rounds fired from Syria struck near Guvecci village in Yayladagi yesterday, the Hatay governor's office said. It said the fire appeared to have been aimed by Syrian government forces at rebels along the border. There were no casualties.
The first round landed 50 meters inside Turkey at 7am local time and the Guvecci border post retaliated with four rounds from 81 mm mortars. It fired two further rounds after the second mortar struck around 11:30am.
The governor's office warned people in the area not to go out on balconies or spend time in open places, Dogan news agency said.
There were two similar incidents in Hatay on Friday.
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