Turkey vows to retaliate if border with Syria violated again
- 12 years ago
Tensions along the Syrian border with Turkey as Damascus deploys tanks.
Turkey's armed forces have repeatedly responded in kind over the past few weeks to gunfire and shelling spilling across the border from Syria. They are now warning there will be a more forceful response if the violence is not contained.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU SAYING:
"Turkey will retaliate again if its border with Syria is violated again and if we feel that Turkey's national security is in danger."
At a meeting with his German counterpart he also made clear NATO stands behind Turkey.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU SAYING:
"When it comes to security, Turkey's border is equal to the Norwegian border as far as NATO is concerned. The security of these borders is the security of NATO. So we believe that this solidarity will continue."
The 19-month-old conflict in Syria is intensifying. Amateur video which could not be independently verified by Reuters appears to show the remains of a fighter plane downed on Saturday. With no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough there are growing fears the violence could spread across the Middle East.
Turkey's armed forces have repeatedly responded in kind over the past few weeks to gunfire and shelling spilling across the border from Syria. They are now warning there will be a more forceful response if the violence is not contained.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU SAYING:
"Turkey will retaliate again if its border with Syria is violated again and if we feel that Turkey's national security is in danger."
At a meeting with his German counterpart he also made clear NATO stands behind Turkey.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU SAYING:
"When it comes to security, Turkey's border is equal to the Norwegian border as far as NATO is concerned. The security of these borders is the security of NATO. So we believe that this solidarity will continue."
The 19-month-old conflict in Syria is intensifying. Amateur video which could not be independently verified by Reuters appears to show the remains of a fighter plane downed on Saturday. With no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough there are growing fears the violence could spread across the Middle East.