Erdogan Rejects Syrian Proposal of Joint Inquiry on Reyhanli Blasts
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday firmly rejected a Syrian proposal to hold a joint probe over a twin car bomb attack that killed 51 people.
"The administration in power in Damascus is illegal ... how can we recognize a structure that isn't even recognized by its own citizens," Erdogan told reporters before leaving for a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Thursday.
Syria said earlier that it is willing to carry out a joint investigation with Turkey into Reyhanli's deadly attacks that Ankara has accused Damascus of masterminding, a Syrian minister said on Tuesday.
"If the government of Erdogan calls for a joint, transparent investigation by the two countries, we have no objection, in order to find the truth," Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said.
"The truth must be announced to the Syrian and Turkish people," official media quoted him as saying.
The twin car bombings that rocked the town of Reyhanli in southern Turkey on Saturday killed 51 people and wounded dozens more.
Erdogan told parliament on Tuesday that 13 people have been held by police in connection with the attacks, the deadliest to hit Turkey since the beginning of the uprising in neighboring Syria in March 2011.
Turkey has blamed a radical Marxist group affiliated with President Bashar Assad's regime for the attack. Damascus has denied any involvement.
Ankara has sided with the rebels fighting to topple Assad's regime and has taken in around 400,000 refugees as well as army defectors and repeatedly called on the international community to act on the unfolding crisis.
14 May 2013, 15:05
23
Car bombings are the calling card of Qaeda ... Erdogan may already be pulling the plug on the FSA and Qaeda resupply ... The Americans found out the hard way in Benghazi what it is to cross Qaeda.
14 May 2013, 15:08
44
Car bombings and terrorists attacks were perfected by the mukhabarat and hizbocrap...not sure if you were around in Lebanon when they were committing them there...
14 May 2013, 15:15
33
Mohammad, I was around those times, but the problem is that those days are gone, now more organized and deadly rogue people and groups bring more harm than those days, no one knows who is who.
a.k Boston marathon
14 May 2013, 15:26
34
True but ...
But look at who the local people are blaming (Qaeda) despite Erdogan's pronouncements ... they know the situation on the ground better than anyone else ... They are calling for Erdogan's resignation ...
14 May 2013, 15:49
43
how are those days gone? what has changed in the ASSad baath regime to make them be gone? get real man.
14 May 2013, 19:54
00
I am curious as to how many of the people that believe the Syrian government was involved in this know that the town of Reyhanli are all Alawite Turks. As some have mentioned, the Turks in the town know it is the rebels who did this and are calling for Erdogan's resignation, I think they know more about the situation on the ground than any of us. It is highly likely that a Syrian rebel group did this and Erdogan is trying to save face by blaming it on the Mukhabarat. If it was proven that Syrian rebels did this then Erdogan would be complicit in the murder of his own people and this is why he is trying to save face.
14 May 2013, 22:09
21
so Syria asks to join the investigation after it blamed the Turkish government for the explosion. also for the march 8 ppl why would the rebels do that if turkey is arming and supplying them.
14 May 2013, 23:22
01
Ottoman Turks and present day Turks. Same people, different packaging. Don't be fooled. A couple of years ago or so, these sorry excuse of civilization pretended, or gave the illusion, they supported and were with the rest of the M.E. against Zionist/Israeli agenda, and now, luckily for us, they are showing their true colors. This is for every Arab/Muslim to see, to ponder and come to the correct conclusion re. the Turks.
15 May 2013, 13:25
00
when was the last time an ASSad investigation came up with anything substantial. Turkish investigators have already arrested ASSadites as a result of this bombing.
