Turkey has vowed to "respond immediately" to any violation of its borders by fighting in Syria.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made the warning on Friday following the seizure of a Syrian town on the border with Turkey by rebels from the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara with the Greek minister of foreign affairs, Evangelos Venizelos, Davutoglu warned of the "grave dangers" posed by the Kurdish fighters. "Turkey will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of its borders," he said.
A 17-year-old Turk was killed by a stray bullet from Ras al-Ain earlier this week, where rebels from the Free Syrian Army have been clashing with Kurdish fighters. Another Turkish teenager was injured after he was shot in the back during cross-border skirmishes.
On Friday, F-16s from the Turkish Air Force flew over the area in a reconnaissance mission that lasted more than two hours. Turkey sharing a 1200km long border with Syria, is currently home to about 500,000 Syrian refugees.
PYD is fighting the Syrian regime as well as rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad in an effort to secure a homeland for the some two million Kurds in Syria. It took control of Ras al-Ain earlier this week.
The Turkish government is involved in fragile peace talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in a bid to end nearly three decades of deadly conflict.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made the warning on Friday following the seizure of a Syrian town on the border with Turkey by rebels from the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara with the Greek minister of foreign affairs, Evangelos Venizelos, Davutoglu warned of the "grave dangers" posed by the Kurdish fighters. "Turkey will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of its borders," he said.
A 17-year-old Turk was killed by a stray bullet from Ras al-Ain earlier this week, where rebels from the Free Syrian Army have been clashing with Kurdish fighters. Another Turkish teenager was injured after he was shot in the back during cross-border skirmishes.
On Friday, F-16s from the Turkish Air Force flew over the area in a reconnaissance mission that lasted more than two hours. Turkey sharing a 1200km long border with Syria, is currently home to about 500,000 Syrian refugees.
PYD is fighting the Syrian regime as well as rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad in an effort to secure a homeland for the some two million Kurds in Syria. It took control of Ras al-Ain earlier this week.
The Turkish government is involved in fragile peace talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in a bid to end nearly three decades of deadly conflict.
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