Turkish FM cuts short China trip
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E-mail Xinhua, April 10, 2012
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday cut short his trip to China and will return home to tackle fresh developments on the Turkish-Syrian border, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
Davutoglu was accompanying Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an official visit to China.
The foreign minister reportedly informed on phone British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs William Jeffeson Hague of the latest developments on the Turkish-Syrian border.
Davutoglu is expected to hold a phone conversation with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe later on Tuesday, according to the report.
On Monday, two Syrians were killed and at least 19 others injured, including two Turks, in clashes with the Syrian security forces on the Turkish-Syrian border, Anatolia news agency reported.
The injured Turks, namely Sevgi Topal, a woman translator at a refugee camp in southern Kilis city and Ali Kaplan, a police officer, were slightly wounded when Syrian security forces fired on fleeing Syrians.
All the victims were taken to hospital, Anatolia said, adding that the two Syrians died when receiving medical treatment and another severely wounded Syrian was transferred to Gaziantep Medical Faculty Hospital.
Earlier on Monday, the Syrians were trying to cross into Turkish Kilis province on mine-planted zone when Syrian security forces started to fire on them, Anatolia quoted Kilis Governor Yusuf Odabas as saying.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Monday evening that it had warned the Syrian charge d'affaires in Ankara that Turkey will take necessary measures if Syrian forces fire across the Turkish border again.
Turkey, once a close ally of Damascus, has imposed on Syria a series of sanctions, including an arms embargo, due to its alleged crackdown on anti-government protesters.
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