Syrian Conflict Spills Over into Turkey

Syrian conflict spills over into turkey 1
Bashar ja’afari, permanent representative of the syrian arab republic to the un, speaks to the press on syria-turkey tensions. Image courtesy of un photo / j carrier.

The conflict in Syria took on a new dimension on 3rd October, when Syrian government forces shelled the Turkish border town of Akçakale. Authorities have reported that five civilians were killed in the incident.

In response, Turkey began shelling targets in Syria on Thursday and the Turkish parliament authorised further shelling on Friday.

Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission strongly condemned the incursion into Turkish territory and expressed solidarity and condolences “to the families of the victims and to the Turkish people”. She was also in contact with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to discuss the matter.

On Thursday, at a meeting of the UN Security Council, Ban Ki Moon’s spokesperson said in a statement:

“As the situation inside Syria deteriorates yet further – including the atrocious terrorist bombings in Aleppo this week which killed dozens of people including civilians – the risks of regional conflict and the threat to international peace and security are also increasing,”

As a candidate for membership of the European Union, Turkey occupies a unique balancing position between the cultures of Europe and the Middle East as well as an important access point for trade and international military.

 


In This Story: Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.

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In This Story: Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe.

Istanbul, which straddles Europe and Asia, is the country’s largest city, while Ankara is the capital. The majority of the population identifies as Turkish, around 20% identify as Kurdish.

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