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Turkish FM talks Syria with US, China

09 October 2012 21:50 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkish foreign minister has discussed Syria with his US and Chinese counterparts amid escalating tensions and cross-border attacks on the Syrian-Turkish border, APA reports quoting Today’s Zaman.
As the Turkish military retaliated with artillery fire for a sixth straight day Monday after a Syrian shell hit its territory, Turkey has accelerated its diplomatic efforts to find a non-military solution to the deteriorating crisis with Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu exchanged views with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton amidst signs of spillover of the Syrian conflict into neighboring countries with continuing mortar fire, diplomatic sources said, according to state-run news agency Anatolia.

Clinton expressed her concerns over intermittent artillery shelling across the Turkish-Syrian border, the sources added. Clinton told DavutoÄŸlu that the US backs Turkish moves taken regarding the recent crisis with Syria within the scope of NATO.

On Tuesday, a senior US defence official said the alliance would likely react if Turkey made a request for assistance.

"The allies would have to hear what Turkey says and decide what kind of assistance the alliance should bring," he said. "We engage with Turkey to make sure that should the time come where Turkey needs help we’re able to do what we can."

DavutoÄŸlu also discussed Syrian artillery shelling of southern Turkish district of AkÃ§akale on the Syrian border with his Chinese counterpart, Jang Jiechi.

The Turkish foreign minister briefed Jiechi in some detail on the Syrian shelling that killed five Turkish civilians -- all women and children -- and developments in the aftermath of the incident.

Sources said Jiechi told DavutoÄŸlu that China understood Turkey’s concerns over its security and that his country follows the Syrian mortar incident very closely.