Syrian–Turkish border clashes during the Syrian Civil War

Syrian–Turkish border clashes 2012-14
Part of Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
Akçakale
Yayladağı
Ceylanpınar
Locations in Turkey attacked by Syria
Date22 June 2012 – 31 December 2014
LocationSyria and Turkey
Belligerents
Syria Syria Turkey Turkey
Commanders and leaders

Syria Bashar al-Assad

Syria Abdullah Ayyoub

Turkey Abdullah Gül

Turkey Necdet Özel
Casualties and losses
12 soldiers killed
(Turkish claim)[1]
14 soldiers killed
23 soldiers wounded
(Syrian opposition claim)[2]		 5 civilians killed

As Syrian Arab Spring protests turned into an all-out civil war, the thousand mile long Syrian–Turkish border became the scene of minor military clashes between the Turkish army and various factions in the war to the south.

One of the most serious of these occurred on 3 October 2012, when an artillery shell fired from Syria by the Syrian Army killed five and injured at least ten Turkish citizens in the border town of Akçakale in Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. The Turkish armed forces artillery units conducted saturation shelling of Syrian military posts.[3][4][5]

2011–12 incidents

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Turkey, once an ally of Syria, has condemned Assad over the use of violent force against protesters and has requested his departure from office. In October 2011, Turkey began sheltering the Free Syrian Army, offering the group a safe zone and a base of operation. Together with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Turkey has also provided the rebels with arms and other military equipment.[6]

On 22 June 2012, a Turkish F-4 fighter jet was shot down by Syrian government forces.[7] Both pilots were killed.[8] Syria stated that it had shot the fighter down using anti-aircraft artillery near the village of Om al-Tuyour, while it was flying over Syrian territorial waters one kilometre away from land.[9] Turkey's foreign minister stated the jet was shot down in international airspace after accidentally entering Syrian airspace, while it was on a training flight to test Turkey's radar capabilities.[10] Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed retaliation, saying: "The rules of engagement of the Turkish Armed Forces have changed ... Turkey will support Syrian people in every way until they get rid of the bloody dictator and his gang."[11] Ankara acknowledged that the jet had flown over Syria for a short time, but said such temporary overflights were common, had not led to an attack before, and alleged that Syrian helicopters had violated Turkish airspace five times without being attacked and that a second, search-and-rescue jet had been fired at.[11][12] Assad later expressed regret over the incident.[13] In August 2012, reports appeared in some Turkish newspapers claiming that the Turkish General Staff had deliberately misinformed the Turkish government about the fighter's location when it was shot down. The reports said that a NATO command post at Izmir and a British base in Cyprus had confirmed that the fighter was shot down inside Syrian waters and that radar intelligence from U.S. forces had disproved any "accidentally entered Syrian waters" flightpath error. The General Staff denied the claims.[14]

The 2 October 2012 incident and afterward

Attacks from Syria

As the clashes between the government forces and the opposition in Syria intensified, artillery shells began to fall across the border onto Turkish soil. On 3 October 2012 at 16:25 EEST (13:25 UTC), a bomb fired from Syria hit a house in the central area of Akçakale. A 39-year-old mother and her three children aged between eight and 14 years and another woman of 40 years of age were killed by the blast. Thirteen others, including police officers, were injured. Three of the injured had light wounds while two of them were severely wounded. The source of the shells and their manufacturer remain unknown as Turkish authorities have not released a ballistic test.[15]

Turkish military retaliation

At 18:00 (local time in Turkey; GMT/UTC + 02:00) the same day, five F-16 fighters from the 8th Main Jet Base Group of the 2nd Tactical Air Force Command at Diyarbakır Air Base and RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft from the 7th Main Jet Base Group Command in Malatya Erhaç Air Base conducted reconnaissance missions along the border, identifying Syrian military targets and relaying their coordinates to the Turkish Armed Forces Command in Ankara. Turkish artillery then conducted saturation shelling of these targets with T-155 Fırtına howitzers, which have a firing range of 40–45 kilometres (25–28 mi). The targeted region was Ayn al-Arus of Tal Abyad town in Ar-Raqqah Governorate across Akçakale.[16]

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Turkish shelling of a military post in Syria on 4 October 2012 resulted in the death of three Syrian soldiers.[17]

Mandate by Turkish parliament

On 4 October 2012, the Turkish parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey passed a motion by a vote of 320-129 authorizing the use of military ground troops to enter "foreign countries" for operations. The one-year mandate, according to Turkish officials, is not expected to be carried out.[18][19]

October 2012 incidents

Six batteries of NATO-backed missile defense systems have been set up in southeastern Turkey to protect against aerial attacks from war-torn Syria.[20]

On 5 October 2012, shells fired by Syrian artillery in Latakia landed in the rural area of Aşağıpulluyazı village (Coordinates: 35°51′32.54″N 36°09′13.23″E / 35.8590389°N 36.1536750°E / 35.8590389; 36.1536750) in the Yayladağı district of Hatay Province. The day before, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had announced at a press conference during the official visit of Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi that a Syrian shell had fallen in Altınözü, Hatay Province. The second incident caused no damage to persons or property.[21][22] Immediately after this second incident in Hatay, artillery of the Turkish 3rd Border Battalion stationed in Yayladağı fired on Syrian military targets.[22]

A grain depot in Akcakale suffered minor damage from shrapnel from a Syrian mortar round exploding on 6 October 2012, though no injuries were reported. Turkey responded by shelling Syrian military targets over the border and positioning a platoon of ACV-300 armored personnel carriers on the southern edge of Akçakale, with their weapons pointed at Tel Abyad, a town a few kilometres into Syria.[17][23]

On 8 October 2012, Altınözü was again hit by Syrian mortar fire, the six shells landed in a rural area causing no injury or loss of life. Turkey responded soon after by shelling Syrian positions.[24]

On 10 October 2012, Turkish Air Force F-16s intercepted a Syrian Air Airbus A320, flight RB442 from Moscow to Damascus, in Turkish airspace and forced it to land at Esenboğa International Airport, suspecting it was carrying Russian-made weapons.[25][26] Inspectors claimed confiscating ammunition, military communications equipment and items "thought to be missile parts", however evidence has not been publicly shown. The Russian foreign minister denied the claims and said that the plane cargo included only radar units.[27]

On 17 October 2012, Turkish artillery fired into Syria after a Syrian mortar shell landed on Turkish territory in Hatay province. No casualties were reported on either side.[28]

On 23 October 2012, an anti-aircraft shell struck a health center in Reyhanlı, approximately 200 yards (180 m) from the Syrian border. The shell landed in an empty room, and no injuries were reported. It was apparently fired from Harem, Idlib Governorate, where clashes were reportedly underway between rebels and government troops.[29]

Two Syrian anti-aircraft shells struck 300 meters north of the village of Beşaslan in Hatay Province, Turkey on 29 October 2012, to which Turkey immediately responded by firing artillery rounds into Syria. Neither side reported casualties.[30][31]

In the morning hours of 12 November 2012, a Syrian military helicopter bombed rebel positions around the town of Ras al-Ayn near the Turkish border across Ceylanpınar in Şanlıurfa Province. The rebels responded with heavy machine gun fire. Soon later, a Syrian fighter jet bombed the area. Glass windows of some buildings in the center of Ceylanpınar shattered by the blast. One Turkish soldier and two civilians on the Turkish side were reportedly wounded during the incident. Fleeing Syrian civilians and militants crossed the border into Turkish territory. Several injured refugees were taken into a hospital in Ceylanpınar by ambulances. The town's mayor warned the residents not to come close to the border for their own security.[32]

2013-2014

January 2013 incident

In the early hours of 14 January 2013, a shell fired by unknown Syrian forces landed in an olive grove near the border village of Akçabağlar, causing no casualties.[33] On 30 January, Syrian refugees tried to cross the border between Turkey and Syria but were turned back under fire by Turkish forces. Two Syrian civilians were wounded in the incident with no Turkish casualties reported.

February 2013 border-crossing bombing

On 11 February 2013, a bomb exploded at the Turkish-Syrian border crossing in Cilvegözü, killing 14.[34]

May 2013 Akcakale incident

On 2 May 2013, fighting occurred between Syrian anti-government insurgents and Turkish border guards at the Akcakale border crossing. One Turkish border guard was killed in the engagement, reportedly the first armed clashes between Turkish government agents and anti-Assad militants.[35]

May 2013 Reyhanli bombing

On 11 May 2013, two car bombs exploded in the Turkish predominantly Shia city of Reyhanli, killing at least 40 and injuring over 100. Turkish residents of the town reportedly attacked Syrian refugees and automobiles with Syrian license plates following the bombing.[36][37][38]

September 2013 Syrian helicopter shot down

On 16 September 2013, Turkish fighter jets that took off from Malatya Erhaç Air Base shot down a Syrian Mi-17 helicopter that violated Turkish airspace according to vice prime minister Bülent Arınç.[39]

January 2014 incident on Syrian Kurdistan border

Five Syrian Kurds killed while crossing borders into Turkey on 20 January 2014.[40] Zahir Mulla and Muhammad Ahmad were killed along with other three men (whose identities couldn't be identified), when Turkish border guards opened fire. Others, who accompanied the victims, were hardly beaten by the Turkish guards.

March 2014 Turkish shootdown of a Syrian aircraft

On 23 March 2014, Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian warplane. The Syrian Arab Republic claims that its aircraft was in Syrian airspace on a mission to attack rebel held areas in the city of Latakia when it was shot down by Turkey in an act of "blatant aggression." The Syrian pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft.[41] Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan stated that Turkish F-16s shot down the aircraft for violating Turkish airspace and said that the Turkish "response will be heavy if you violate our airspace."[42]

The Siege of Kobani

Further information: Siege of Kobanî

In the early fall of 2014, the Kurdish town of Kobani, which was mere yards from the Turkish border, was besieged by ISIS in one of the hardest fought battles of the entire war. When shells and other munitions occasionally crossed into Turkish territory, The Turkish army would shoot back. There was also a massive refugee problem, and this led to riots in Turkey and further action by the parliament.

NATO Response

NATO-backed missile defense system stationed in Gaziantep, Turkey.[20]

Following Ankara's invocation of Article IV of the Washington Treaty, NATO's North Atlantic Council stated that the alliance: "... demands the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an ally, and urges the Syrian regime to put an end to flagrant violations of international law ...".[43]

On 9 October 2012, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen reported that NATO has completed making plans to defend Turkey from Syrian attacks.[44]

As a part of the plan for defending Turkey, MIM-104 Patriot missiles from Netherlands, Germany, and U.S. were sent to Turkey and went active.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Turkish retaliatory fire has killed 12 Syrian soldiers -report". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Turkey Strikes Syria The Wall Street Journal
  3. ↑ "Turkey shells Syria: live". The Daily Telegraph. London. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Weaver, Matthew; Whitaker, Brian (4 October 2012). "Turkey-Syria border tension". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Turkish PM says he does not want war with Syria - World - CBC News". Cbc.ca. Associated Press. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Syria News". New York Times. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  7. ↑ "Turkey confirms Syria shot down F-4 military jet, search for pilots ongoing". Al Arabiya. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Bodies of Turkish jet crew shot down by Syria found". BBC News. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  9. ↑ Sabbagh, H. (23 June 2012). "Military Spokesman: Anti-Air Defenses Intercepted a Target That Violated Syrian Airspace Over Territorial Waters, Shot It Down West of Lattakia". Syrian Arab News Agency. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  10. ↑ "Turkey goes to Nato over plane it says Syria downed in international airspace". The Guardian. London. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  11. 1 2 "Turkey dubs Syria 'a clear threat', vows to retaliate". The Nation. Agence France-Presse. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  12. ↑ Borger, Julian; Chulov, Martin; Elder, Miriam (26 June 2012). "Syria shot at second Turkish jet, Ankara claims". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  13. ↑ "Syria-Turkey tension: Assad 'regrets' F-4 jet's downing". BBC News. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  14. ↑ Hurriyet Daily News, 11–12 August 2012, page 5, "No Misinformation on Downed Jet: Army".
  15. ↑ "Akçakale'ye top mermisi düştü: 5 ölü, 10 yaralı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  16. ↑ "Türkiye, Suriye'deki hedefleri bombaladı". Radikal (in Turkish). 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Erdoğan says another Syrian mortar falls in Turkey, can't be accident". Todayszaman.com. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  18. ↑ Peker, Emre (4 October 2012). "Turkey Hits Syria, Adds War Powers". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  19. ↑ Göksel Bozkurt (4 October 2012). "POLITICS - Parliament gives green light to Syrian cross-border raids". Turkey: Hurriyetdailynews.com. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  20. 1 2 "Missile Defense System Keeps Watch on Syria". YouTube. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  21. ↑ "Muhammed Rıza Rahimi Ankara'da". TRT Haber (in Turkish). 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  22. 1 2 "Suriye'ye yine karşılık verildi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  23. ↑ The Associated Press. "Turkey returns artillery fire at Syria for 5th day - World - CBC News". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  24. ↑ 8 Oct 2012. "Turkey shells Syria for sixth day". Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  25. ↑ "Turkey, Seeking Weapons, Forces Syrian Jet to Land". New York Times. 10 October 2012.
  26. ↑ "Turkey: Syrian plane was carrying ammunition". San Francisco Chronicle. 11 October 2012.
  27. ↑ "Turkey: Syrian plane was carrying ammunition". The Associated Press. 12 October 2012.
  28. ↑ "Turkish artillery strikes back after Syrian mortar bomb hit". The Daily Star. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  29. ↑ "Syria anti-aircraft shell reportedly hits Turkish health center". Fox News. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  30. ↑ "Turkey strikes Syria after shells hit Turkish village". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  31. ↑ "Damascus car bombings as Syria 'ceasefire' ends." BBC News. 29 October 2012. Accessed 29 October 2012.
  32. ↑ "Three Turks wounded as Syrian jets bomb near Turkish border". Hürriyet Daily News. 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  33. ↑ AFP (14 January 2013). "Syrian shell strikes Turkey, no injuries". NOW. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  34. ↑ "The brave Syrian risking his life to help kids like this cross the border." Independent.ie. 10 April 2013. Accessed 14 April 2013. http://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/the-brave-syrian-risking-his-life-to-help-kids-like-this-cross-the-border-29185757.html
  35. ↑ Mourtada, Hania and Rick Gladstone. "Syrian Forces Strike Rebels in Wide-Ranging Assaults." The New York Times. 3 May 2013. Accessed 3 May 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/world/middleeast/syria.html?_r=0
  36. ↑ "At Least 40 Killed in Turkey Bombings Near Syrian Border." The Daily Star. 11 May 2013. Accessed 11 May 2013. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/May-11/216733-explosions-shake-turkish-town-on-syria-border-official.ashx#axzz2T00KHPBf
  37. ↑ "Reyhanlı attack may be linked to peace process, Turkish PM suggests." Hurriyet Daily News. 11 May 2013. Accessed 11 May 2013. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/reyhanli-attack-may-be-linked-to-peace-process-turkish-pm-suggests.aspx?pageID=238&nID=46684&NewsCatID=338
  38. ↑ "Blasts kill dozens in Turkish town Reyhanli on Syria border." BBC News. 11 May 2013. Accessed 11 May 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22494128
  39. ↑ "Turkey shoots down Syrian helicopter". Reuters. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  40. ↑ http://aranews.org/en/home/kurdish-region/963-five-syrian-kurds-killed-while-crossing-borders-into-turkey.html
  41. ↑ "Turkish jet downs Syrian warplane near border". The Big Story. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  42. ↑ http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/03/23/Turkey-downs-Syria-warplane-on-border.html
  43. ↑ "Turkey strikes targets in Syria in retaliation for shelling deaths". CNN.com. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  44. ↑ "NATO says plans in place to defend Turkey from Syrian attacks". AP. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
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