"Several Syrian soldiers" were killed last night by shelling by the Turkish army. Ankara's artillery hit a Syrian army position in the Rasm al Ghazal region, near the city of Tal Abiad, on the border between the two countries. The news was released by the NGO Osdh (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights).
Today the Turkish Parliament met urgently behind closed doors to formally authorize the army to conduct operations on Syrian territory. The deputies must discuss a text proposed by the government in which it is established that, "if necessary", the same executive will receive the authorization - which will last for one year - to order armed operations in Syria. The "hostile activities against Turkish territory - reads the provision - are on the verge of becoming a military attack (...) and are of such a nature as to threaten our national security".
Tensions between Syria and Turkey exploded yesterday evening, when several mortar shells targeted the Turkish town of Akcakale, killing five civilians. The city is located opposite the Syrian border post of Tall al Abyad, recently the scene of fighting between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad and Free Syrian Army (ASL) rebels.
A few hours later, at the end of a meeting with his closest advisers, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the Turkish army had bombed various "targets" on Syrian territory in retaliation. The information minister of Damascus, Omran Zoabi, announced the opening of an investigation into the origin of the mortar fire and expressed Syria's condolences "to the families of the victims and to our friend, the Turkish people".
Diplomatic words that were not enough to normalize relations between the two countries. Ankara has informed the UN of what happened yesterday along the border. The UN Council will meet today to discuss the incident. The United Nations Security Council will meet today and the 15 member countries should publish a statement of firm condemnation of the Syrian fire, inviting Damascus to respect the territorial integrity of neighboring countries. However, the draft declaration is still being finalized, according to some UN diplomatic sources.
The Turkish ambassador to the United Nations, Ertugul Apakan, addressed a letter to the secretary general of the Organization, Ban Ki-moon, and to the ambassador of Guatemala Gert Rosenthal, whose country chairs the Security Council this month. In the text, Ankara defined yesterday's "an act of aggression by Syria against Turkey", which therefore asks the Council to "take the necessary measures to put an end to these acts of aggression and ensure that Syria respects the sovereignty, the territorial integrity and security of Turkey”.
