BRUSSELS: Nato in an emergency meeting yesterday backed Turkey and called on Syria to respect international law after a Syrian shell hit a border town, killing five Turkish nationals and sparking retaliatory strikes.
“The Alliance continues to stand by Turkey and demands the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an ally and urges the Syrian regime to end flagrant violations of international law,” a Nato statement said after the meeting was called at member Ankara’s request.
The alliance said Syria’s “recent aggressive acts at Nato’s southeastern border” were a “flagrant breach of international law and a clear and present danger” to an ally. “The most recent shelling... which caused the death of five Turkish citizens and injured many, constitutes a cause of greatest concern and is strongly condemned by all allies,” it added.
Earlier, Nato head Anders Fogh Rasmussen had spoken to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu to express “his strong condemnation of the incident in Akcakale” town, a spokeswoman said. AFP
