Tensions Mount on Syrian Border Following Artillery Exchange
Following the deadly cross-border shelling in the southeastern province of Urfa on Wednesday, the Turkish Prime Ministry announced they had responded without delay by firing on army positions inside of Syria with artillery barrages.
"Our military units in the border area have responded in kind in accordance with the rules of engagement and struck with artillery fire against targets in Syria that were identified by radar," the Turkish Prime Ministry said, in reference to the new rules of engagement that came into force following the downing of a Turkish reconnaissance jet by Syria in June.
The Syrian Ministry of Information also responded the same day by offering their condolences to the victims of the shelling and to the Turkish public, adding that they had initiated an investigation regarding the matter.
"We respect our neighbors' security," the Syrian Ministry of Information said.
The mortar fire from Syria that killed five Turkish citizens in Urfa this week drew serious condemnations from the U.S., the United Nations (U.N.) as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) who held an urgent meeting on Wednesday night upon Turkey's request.
"The alliance continues to stand by Turkey and demands the immediate cessation of such aggresive acts against an ally and urges the Syrian regime to put an end to flagrant violations of international law," the NATO Council yesterday said after ambassadors from member countries met in Brussels and condemned Syria through a unanimous vote.
U.S. Department of State Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also held a press meeting yesterday and condemned what she called a flagrant violation of Turkey's sovereignty by the Syrian Arab Republic, although the Pentagon struck a more cautious note and announced that they did not expect an armed conflict to follow.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also said that Turkey had no intention to start a war during a press meeting yesterday.
Several Syrian troops reportedly died in consequence of Turkey's artillery strikes, according to the Qatar-based broadcasting station Al-Jazeera.
Sources in Damascus and the Syrian press also announced that some Syrian military targets were hit by the strikes, the Turkish television channel CNNTürk reported.
"We are outraged that the Syrians have been shooting across their border... and regretful of the loss of life on the Turkish side," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also said.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said it was important that Syria had confirmed that the incident was an accident and that Syrian officials had offered them a guarantee that it would not repeat.
Lavrov, however, also criticized the United Nations Security Council for ignoring the "terrorist activities" in Syria and reproached western states for not condemning these acts as well, in reference to the acts committed by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) that has been engaged in a protracted war against the al-Assad regime.
British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also offered their condolences to the victims of Wednesday's shelling, while Egyptian Deputy President İsam el-Haddad said the Syrian regime was "playing with fire."
U.N. Condemns Syria
The U.N. Security Council also issued a statement today condemning the shelling in Urfa's Akçakale district that killed five people on Wednesday.
The president of the council Gert Rosenthal offered their condolences to Turkey and called on Syria to respect the territorial integrity of its neighbors and to immediately halt violence.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-mun also cautioned about the possibility of a regional conflict in consequence of the mounting tensions on the Turkish-Syrian border and highlighted the significance of finding a political solution to the problem.
A section about the "violation of international peace and security" in the U.N. Security Council's statement was later removed, however, upon the urging of Russia, which is one of the five permanent members of the council and enjoys cordial relations with Syria.
Syria's representative to the United Nations Bashar Caferi also stressed their wish to maintain good relations with all their neighbors including Turkey after the meeting.
"Of course, the Syrian government is deeply saddened by the loss of of the lives of one woman and her children [in Turkey.] We also hope the Turkish government also feels the same emotions toward the hundreds of innocent civilians killed by terrorists entering Syria through the Turkish border," he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei also called for restraint, while U.S. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Nuland expressed their backing for Turkey's counterstrike against Syria, claiming that it was appropriate, proportionate and deterrant.
Prime Minister Erdoğan, however, reproached Syria today after holding a meeting with Deputy Iranian President Muhammed Rıza Rahimi in Ankara:
"After all these incidents, another artillery shell once more landed in the district of Altınözü in [the southern province of] Hatay. Now, on one hand, they said it happened by accident, and on the other hand, the same thing happens again today. What kind of an accident is this that keeps occuring eight times over?" Prime Minister Erdoğan said.
Parliament authorizes government to send troops abroad
The Turkish Parliament also met yesterday morning to discuss a motion that would remain in effect for one full year and authorize the government to send troops abroad. The motion passed with 320 votes in favor and 129 against.
The opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) announced their opposition to the motion, but the far right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) expressed their backing.
"This motion is against the 92nd article of the constitution. We are not facing an offensive. This runs counter to situations deemed as legitimate by international law. It is not clear whether it was the Syrian government that committed this act. There are no defined limits in this motion, you could even start a world war with it. The Syrian government does not accept that it had attacked [Turkey] either, and it even apologizes," said the CHP's Deputy Group President Muharrem İnce prior to the voting.
"I do not think any of you are in favor of war. My conscience is in revolt. Please, [exercise] a bit more reason, common sense, diplomacy, fraternity, neighborliness, history, culture and religious fraterniy," said the BDP's Şırnak deputy Hasip Kaplan.
The MHP's leader Devlet Bahçeli, however, said they would back the motion to strengthen the government's hand.
"Turkey is a strong country that needs to act with common sense," the CHP's leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also said.
Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay, however, said the motion was intended for purposes of deterrance and not to start a war, while Nurettin Canikli, the group deputy president of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP,) also added that it was impossible to send troops to another country other than Syria with the motion in question. (AS/EKN/HK/YY/NV)