Sunday, May 12, 2013

Syria denies Turkey Reyhanli car bombs role


Syria has denied being responsible for two car bombs which killed 46 people in a Turkish border town.
Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi told a news conference on Sunday his country "did not commit and would never commit such an act because our values would not allow that".
Turkish police say that nine people have been arrested in connection with Saturday's attacks in Reyhanli.
Ankara has said that it suspects the involvement of Syrian intelligence.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not be dragged into a "bloody quagmire".
He called on Turks to be "extremely careful, extremely vigilant... in the face of provocations".
"We will not be trapped. The aim of these attacks is to pit Turks against each other and create chaos. So I call on all my citizens to keep calm."
The Turkish government said on Sunday that the number of people killed in the blasts had risen to 46 and that more than 50 others were still being treated in hospital.
All nine of those arrested in connection with the attacks were Turkish citizens, officials said.
All nine of those arrested in connection with the attacks were Turkish citizens, officials said.
"This incident was carried out by an organisation which is in close contact to pro-regime groups in Syria and I say this very clearly, with the Syrian Mukhabarat," Interior Minister Muammer Guler told Turkish TV.
Turkey, a Nato member, is a strong supporter of the opposition in Syria's civil war and a vocal critic of President Bashar al-Assad's government.
The US and Nato have condemned the bombings and expressed support for Turkey.
Hundreds of mourners have been attending the funerals of the victims in Reyhanli, which is home to many Syrian refugees.

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