Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned against testing Turkey's power after car bombs killed at least four people in a town on the Syrian border on Saturday, saying Ankara would take necessary measures to protect itself. "No one should attempt to test Turkey's power. Our security forces will take all necessary measures," Davutoglu told reporters during a visit to Berlin. Tensions ran high in the district after the blast with locals reportedly attacking Syrian-plated cars and Syrian refugees.
Tensions have already been high in the district for a couple of weeks. Recently, Syrian youths got into a fight with Turkish youths in Reyhanlı, which hosts a large number of Syrian refugees. Following the fight, the Turkish group carried Turkish flags around the city and protested the presence of the Syrians.
In initial comments, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu called the incident an act of “provocation,” saying “there may be some powers who want to sabotage peace in Turkey.”
Turkey is now sheltering more than 300,000 Syrians, most of them in camps along the 900-km (560-mile) frontier, and is struggling to keep up with the influx.
Turkey warns against testing its power after border blasts
Ahmet Davutoglu warned against "testing Turkey's power", and "There may be provocations," in Germany.
11 Mayıs 2013 Cumartesi 10:01
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