UN, West condemn Turkey bombings near Syria

BEIJING (Xinhua) - The United Nations and Western powers strongly condemned the car bombings that killed at least 45 people and injured more than 100 in a Turkish border town near Syria on Saturday.

In a statement issued Saturday by his spokesperson, UN Secretary-General Bak Ki-moon said he condemned the deadly attack in the Turkish town of Reyhanli "in strongest terms," noting that "no cause or grievance ever justifies the targeting of civilians" and the perpetrators must be "brought to justice."

Ban also sent his condolences to the victims and their families, as well as to the government and people of Turkey.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the "despicable acts show total disregard for the life of civilians." "I express full solidarity with the people and the authorities of our ally Turkey," he said.

French President Francois Hollande said in a statement that he condemned the bombing "with extreme firmness." Foreign Minister Lauren Fabius also strongly denounced the attacks and expressed his condolences to the families of victims.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone have also strongly condemned the attacks. "The United States condemns today's car bombings and we stand with our ally, Turkey," Kerry said Saturday in a statement.

Ricciardone called the attacks "vicious," noting that the United States "stands with the people and government of Turkey to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu slammed the attacks as an act of "provocation," saying that "we will give a response. We will take adequate measures." Air and ground military reinforcements have arrived at Reyhanli on Saturday.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay claimed that initial investigation shows that the deadly blasts are linked to Syria's intelligence agency al-Mukhabarat. Atalay told reporters that the incident is not related to Syrian refugees or the Syrian opposition.

Meanwhile, more than 100 protestors took to the streets on Saturday in downtown Reyhanli, protesting the government's policy toward Syria. Similar protests also took place in the capital city of Ankara where people chanted slogans against Syrian refugees bringing violence to Turkey.

Turkey shares a long border with Syria and is now home to an estimated 400,000 Syrian refugees as well as opposition's military leaders after  Syria's unrest began in March 2011, as the conflict also spilled across borders to Turkey.

Turkey, once a mediator between Syria and regional states such as Israel and used to defy Western pressure and promote relations with its neighbor in the south, shifted to a strong backer of the Syria opposition after the crisis erupted. It severed ties with the Syrian government last year and tensions have been running high between the two erstwhile allies since then.

Earlier this month, one Turkish border guard was killed and six others were wounded in a clash at the Syrian border.