Istanbul
(AsiaNews) - The UN Security Council has condemned the
attack on the Syrian border with Turkey that killed a family of five people
in the town of Urfa Akcakale. The
statement stresses that the Syrian crisis is having a serious impact on the
"stability and peace in the region."
Meanwhile,
the Turkish parliament held an emergency meeting yesterday in Ankara, authorizing
military action in Syria. Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has nevertheless stated that his country
"does not want to start a war with Syria." This
sort of "double truth" is necessary for the Turkish government the
huge demonstrations across the country against the war, with protesters accusing
Erdogan of being in the pay of the Americans and the West.
The
statement of the Security Council was softened by Russia - an ally of Damascus
- which has appealed to Turkey to difuse the tension. Iran
also called on "the two parties to show restraint."
The
Syrian ambassador to the UN pointed out how the Security Council was not so
ready to condemn "suicide
attacks terrorists who struck the city of Aleppo."
In
an attempt to dampen any escalation that could lead to war, yesterday the Damascus
government apologized for the attack on Akcakale, calling it a "tragic
accident" that will not be repeated.
Since
the beginning of the uprising in Syria, Ankara has supported the anti-Assad
rebels, giving them hospitality within its borders and allowing the flow of
weapons and money. But
in these days with the threat of it exploding onto a regional conflict, a new
factor has emerged in the large anti-war demonstrations held in Istanbul,
Izmir, Mersin, Eskisehir by different groups. In
Taksim Square in Istanbul (see photo), thousands of people shouted slogans in
favor of peace and refusing to be "soldiers of imperialism." Some
banners accused Erdogan and his party of being a puppet of the United States. According
to the protesters, the West and the United States do not want to get involved
in the Syrian crisis and instead are pushing Turkey to do so. The
protesters also revealed that the government, instead of getting involved in a
war against Syria, should ensure freedom and security for the Kurdish
community, which is located near the border with Syria.