Gate attack operations not conducted in Syria, says Turkey's interior minister

ISTANBUL - HDN with wires

Interior Minister Muammer Güler. AA Photo

Operations that led to the detention of suspects over alleged links to the Syria border gate attack that killed 14 people were conducted near the gates and not in Syrian territory, according to Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler.

“None of Turkey’s security officials and members of security forces conducted such an operation abroad,” Güler said. “The suspects were detained, in accordance with previous operations, at the gates. We had no operations that were conducted on the Syrian side.”

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç had previously described the operations as “worthy of making movies about,” and confirmed his statements after Güler’s remarks.

“Muammer Güler is not contradicting me,” Arınç said March.13 in response to a reporter’s question on Güler’s statements.

“He is only saying that [what was] written in newspapers to depict the operations are untrue. That doesn’t mean he is rejecting my remarks,” Arınç added.

Arınç refused to give further details on the matter despite claiming that he “knew everything.”

“If I was to give you details I would have done so following the cabinet meeting,” Arınç said. “I know everything, but I cannot say anything.”

Five suspects were arrested on March 11 over a series of charges related to last month’s deadly bombing at the Cilvegözü border gate. 

The Feb. 11 car bomb attack at the gate in the southern province of Hatay killed 14 people. Turkish authorities have blamed Damascus for the deadly bombing.