POLITICS >Turkish PM: Syria violated our borders, we will take necessary steps

Hurriyet.com.tr

Syria violated Turkish borders by firing into Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters in the Chinese capital of Beijing today.

Syrian regime forces fired at a refugee camp yesterday in the southern Turkish province of Kilis, near the border with Syria, injuring two Turks and four Syrians.

The incident was a "clear violation of borders," Erdoğan said, adding that Turkey "will evaluate this violation and take the necessary steps." Turkey will do what other countries did in the case of such violations in the past, Erdoğan said. "It is Turkey's right to do this."

When asked if that meant creating a buffer zone within Syria, Erdoğan replied that Turkey did not want to consider going into Syria and only "the actions of the Syrian regime could force Turkey" to undertake such an operation.

Turkey is currently hosting 25,000 civilians who have fled violence across the border, and is preparing to host thousands more. "We cannot shut the gates on those who seek refuge," Erdoğan said. Not accepting refugees would leave civilians stranded between the Turkish border and the Syrian forces, which would spell disaster, he added.

Erdoğan said he and the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's efforts at diplomacy with regional countries was continuing toward finding a solution to the ongoing violence in Syria. He said he did not agree with those who said Turkey was being singled out, with China, Russia and Iran refusing to act against the Syrian regime.

"The world does not consist of those three countries alone," Erdoğan said, adding that China's perception of the incidents in Syria had changed since violence erupted in the country, and Russia was becoming more inclined to cooperate to end civilian deaths.

Erdoğan also said he did not believe the Syrian regime would continue to find the support it currently enjoys in the U.N. Security Council.

April/10/2012

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