Turkey Retaliation In Syria Is 'Alarming,' Says U.N. Chief Ban Ki-Moon

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 4 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "alarmed by escalating tensions" between Syria and Turkey and warned that the risk of the 18-month-long Syrian conflict embroiling the entire region was growing, his spokesman said on Thursday.

"The Secretary-General is alarmed by escalating tensions along the Syrian-Turkish border," Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters. "As the situation inside Syria deteriorates yet further ... the risks of regional conflict and the threat to international peace and security are also increasing."

A mortar bomb from Syria landed in Turkey on Wednesday, killing at least five people. Turkey responded later the same day by striking targets in Syria. Turkey asked the U.N. Security Council to take the "necessary action" to stop Syrian aggression and ensure Turkish territorial integrity is respected.

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• Turks hold banners that read "no to war" during a protest in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turks hold banners that read " no to imperialist intervention in Syria " during a protest against a possible war with Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turks hold cartoons depicting Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they protest against a possible war with Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turks hold banners that read " we will take you down from your throne" during a protest against a possible war with Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turks hold banners that read " we will not bow heads" during a protest against a possible war with Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turks hold banners that read "no to war, no to fascism" during a protest in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turkish military stand near the Turkey-Syria border in Akcakale, Turkey, early Friday, Oct. 5, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turks hold banners that read" No to War" during a debate at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Riot police use pepper gas against the Turks protesting against a possible war with Syria during a debate at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Turks hold banners that read" No to War" during a debate at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• In this Monday, Oct. 1, 2012, photo, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and his deputies Bulent Arinc, right, and Besir Atalay seen at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey. (AP Photo)

• The lawmakers seen during a debate at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• The ruling party lawmakers and ministers, rear, seen during a debate at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Ali Babacan, left, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, second right, and other ministers listen during a debate at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo)

• In this image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, smoke rises from houses due to government shelling in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

• In this image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, smoke rises from houses due to government shelling in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

Comments

[TEMPLAR73]

06:01 AM on 10/06/2012

What do you expect UN, you have had best part of 2 years to sort this, but you allow Russia to call the shots, When they clearly agree with Assad's murder techniques, To moan on turkeys response is Hypercritical, as you have totally failed on Syria.

[smp276dp]

12:01 AM on 10/06/2012

Syria started it. Let Turkey finish it.
With that dictator Assad. Find the bum and crush him.

[seanymph007]

08:55 PM on 10/05/2012

Iv'e missed the coverage... Was this an actual attack, or a stray/accidental hit?

[Mexiconees]

05:55 AM on 10/06/2012

What's the difference? 5 Dead is still the outcome

[TEMPLAR73]

06:02 AM on 10/06/2012

4 days in a row, so called stray shots. who are they kidding...

[seanymph007]

02:16 PM on 10/06/2012

Thanks!

[jonjojon]

06:51 PM on 10/05/2012

"his spokesman said on Thursday."

When did Ban Ki-moon become pope? Why can't he speak for himself like he is supposed to do as part of his job? Since the United Nations is fostered to KEEP THE PEACE between Nations (sic) what is to stop him from playing Moses, going to the border between Turkey and Syria, Stretching out his arms and DEMANDING PEACE between the Nations.

Another question; If he is the SECRETARY-General who is his boss?

[evibelle44]

05:47 PM on 10/05/2012

What is President Obama going to do when the middle east really explodes? It's getting closer and closer. This is going way beyond diplomatic solutions. The U.N. is useless and they always have been. By the time the U.N. gets around to discussing this problem, the middle east will totally be in flames. These are very scary times.

[Ayesha Khan]

05:32 PM on 10/05/2012

The situation is quiet serious--Its looks dear Putin needs to say something louder---

[JumpingToConclusions]

05:32 PM on 10/05/2012

Maybe we could send in a peace keeping force like Reagan sent to Beirut in 1983? What? It didn't turn out well? 241 Marines killed in their barracks by a truck bomb? Hmmm.....how was the security around the barracks....none? What did we do to those terrorists? Nothing? Maybe we shouldn't send in a peace keeping force like Reagan did in 1983.

[AlphaOmega01]

06:02 PM on 10/05/2012

What??? Maybe we should, maybe we shouldn't...... is that supposed to be sarcasm? Maybe we should we send in troops and crash the helicopter like Carter then? Huh?

[jonjojon]

06:54 PM on 10/05/2012

Better Yet, maybe we should send in an expeditionary force to catch a Violent Terrorist, Let Him Escape and still be trying to catch his ghost 11 years later like G.W. Bush?

[Aleks Hunter]

11:38 PM on 10/05/2012

Carter did not make the copters crash.

[sitemfg]

05:30 PM on 10/05/2012

Good for the Turks!

[rjjr2]

04:54 PM on 10/05/2012

WONDER WHEN SADDAMS WMDs MOVED TO SYRIA WILL MAKE THEIR ENTRANCE INTO OBAMAS ARAB SPRING??????????? OR HIS 30,000 MISSING RUSSIAN MISSLES!!

[rjjr2]

04:50 PM on 10/05/2012

OBAMAS SPONSORED ARAB SPRING SPROUTING WINGS OF((WAR)) JUST LIKE STALIN, AND MOA!!!!!!!!!!

[bushisdahman]

04:40 PM on 10/05/2012

Syria made a huge blunder by attacking Turkey. Turkey is a member of NATO and member nations have a mutual defense treaty. Many Americans still don't realize the 9-11 attack was an attack on ALL NATO countries and all members participated in the war in Afghanistan.

Assad's days are numbered. I give him to the second week of November.

[jonjojon]

06:56 PM on 10/05/2012

Just what we need, another war. NATO is the USA It has been since the end of WW2.

[usmc5658]

04:34 PM on 10/05/2012

The UN is about effective as the Congress of the United States. The rhetoric amounts to nothing coming out of there!! They have never solved angthing and never will.

[sperli123]

03:35 PM on 10/05/2012

what a cool name.Ban ki moon

[shasmo]

03:07 PM on 10/05/2012

Everyone should stay out of the bisiness. If Syria attacks Turkey. Turkey has
the right to protect itself. It s3eems the UN is favoring anything that Syria does.
We need to get out of the UN and quit finacing it.

[skaggsdn]

02:49 PM on 10/05/2012

With the US encouraging Turkey to exact revenge on Syria, this is sure to lead to more deaths.

[urbisoler]

03:21 PM on 10/05/2012

What's your point?

[jonjojon]

06:59 PM on 10/05/2012

Unlikely, Not unless there is a Republican in the White House.