Turkey to take necessary steps if border violated again: Turkish FM

ISTANBUL

DHA photo

Ankara will do what is necessary if Syria again violates its border, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said today amid continuing tension between Turkey and Syria that has been punctuated by a number of recent incidents.

“We will do what needs to be done if our border is violated again,” he said today.

Davutoğlu conducted a bilateral meeting with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on the Syrian crisis earlier today at Istanbul’s Hilton Hotel.

Davutoğlu said a violation of Turkey’s border was a violation of NATO’s borders. “In this context, we expect the support of our allies.”

The Turkish foreign minister said Germany was one of the countries from which it expects support.

Westerwelle, meanwhile, said Turkey was within its international rights when it forced a Syrian passenger plane to land in Ankara on Oct. 10 on suspicions that it was transporting weapons from Russia to Syria.

Davutoğlu was to meet the United Nations’ special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, later in the day.

Turkey retaliated against Syria after a shell from the Arab republic struck the Turkish border town of Akçakale, killing five people.


UN envoy, German minister in Turkey for Syria talks
 Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle were in Turkey on Saturday for talks on the Syrian conflict following a spike in tensions between Damascus and Ankara.

Westerwelle, whose visit to Turkey was hastily scheduled, called for calm and restraint ahead of his meetings. "It is important that no one pours oil on the fire," he said.

Syria said it was ready to set up a joint committee to oversee security on the border, as Turkey stepped up warnings of reprisals for any further shelling, such as that which killed five Turks on October 3.
 
The Syrian foreign ministry said it has been discussing with Russian diplomats the idea of a joint committee to avoid border misunderstandings.
 
Russia, a traditional ally of Syria, backed a UN Security Council statement condemning the cross-border shelling but has angered the West by repeatedly blocking tougher UN action against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
 
Brahimi, a veteran Algerian diplomat who is envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League, arrived in Istanbul from talks in Saudi Arabia.
 
The Damascus regime accuses both governments of arming rebels seeking to overthrow it.
 
Turkey intercepted a Moscow to Damascus flight on Wednesday, confiscating a cargo of radar equipment, which sparked a new war of words between the Russian and US governments.
 
Washington acknowledged that Moscow had broken no rules in allowing the cargo on board the flight but said it was morally reprehensible for maintaining its alliance with Assad's government.
 
"We have been saying for almost a year now, that no responsible country ought to be aiding and abetting the war machine of the Assad regime," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syrian Air flight had been carrying radar equipment, that could have either civilian or military uses, and insisted Moscow had violated no laws.