ANKARA
Turkey has taken immediate diplomatic action following the Syrian mortar attack on its south-eastern Akcakale town which killed 5 Turkish citizens and wounded 9 others.
Right after the incident, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu informed UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the latest developments.
Releasing a statement following Davutoglu's talks with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO spokesman Oana Lungescu said the alliance closely monitored the developments in Turkey's south-east.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her country's full support to Turkey in the UN and NATO.
The Turkish foreign minister also held talks with his counterparts from Britain, Germany, France, Azerbaijan and Pakistan over the Akcakale incident.
Commenting on the issue, Catherine Ashton, EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, strongly condemned the attack, urging Syria to fully respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of its neighbors.
NATO steps in
Within a few hours after the Syrian attack, NATO Council convened for an extraordinary late-night meeting at Turkey's demand, under Article 4 of the alliance's founding Washington Treaty.
NATO condemned the mortar strike and called on the Syrian regime to put an end to flagrant violations of international law.
Under Article 4, any member state can convene a meeting of NATO members for consultations, when it feels its territorial integrity, independence or security are threatened.
Efforts at UN
On the other hand, foreign ministers of several countries expressed that the UN Security Council (UNSC) should immediately and decisively condemn the Syrian regime for its artillery attack on Turkey.
The UN head extended his condolences to the Turkish nation and relatives of the victims of the attack, while a UN spokesperson underscored that the incidents at the Turkish-Syrian border showed once again that clashes in Syria not only threatened the security of Syrian people, but also harmed neighboring countries.
Sending a letter to UNSC, Turkey called on the council to take the necessary measures against Syria's aggressive actions and to put an end to the country's violations of international law, international peace and security.
