Blasts kill dozens in Turkish town Reyhanli on Syria border

The BBC's Naomi Grimley reports on the deadly blasts

Continue reading the main story

Syria conflict

• No easy answers
• Israel's 'red line'
• Obama's options
• Bloodiest days

Car bombs have killed 40 people and injured 100 in the Turkish town of Reyhanli, near the Syrian border, Turkey's interior minister says.

Muammer Guler told Turkey's NTV that two bombs had gone off in the town near the town hall and post office.
Video from the scene showed injured people being carried to safety in rubble-strewn streets, amid shattered buildings and twisted wrecks of cars.
The town is an entry-point for refugees from the war in Syria.

“Start Quote

We stand with the people of Turkey”

William Hague UK foreign secretary

Local people attacked cars with Syrian number-plates and Syrian refugees after the attack, according to local media.

Emergency services looked for possible victims buried under the debris.
No group said they had carried out the attack.
'So many' It appears that the bombs went off 15 minutes apart and video posted on Turkish media shows people running to help victims of the first when there is the sound of a second explosion.
"I was sitting in my pharmacy and suddenly we heard a massive explosion," eyewitness Ismail Akin told Reuters news agency.
"When I looked from my window I saw wounded people and dead bodies."
Another witness, Hayrullah Bal, said: "We were a bit far away from the explosions, it suddenly happened and everybody started to run. It was so strong that all the windows shattered."
Continue reading the main story

Residents carried injured survivors to safety

1/5

'All necessary measures'

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country would protect itself.

Mr Davutoglu, who was visiting Berlin, said: "There may be those who want to sabotage Turkey's peace, but we will not allow that.

"No-one should attempt to test Turkey's power. Our security forces will take all necessary measures."
He added that the blasts had taken place to deflect attention from efforts to solve the Syrian crisis.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague sent a message of solidarity to the people of Turkey.
"Appalling explosions in Reyhanli, Turkey," he wrote on Twitter. "My thoughts are with family & friends of the victims. We stand with the people of Turkey."
The border area of Reyhanli has itself been attacked in recent months.
In February, an explosion near the town killed 17 people and wounded 30.
Five people were killed last October when a mortar round hit the Turkish border town of Akcakale.
The Turkish government has been a key supporter of the Syrian opposition, and has allowed rebels as well as refugees on to its territory.
But tensions in the Reyhanli area have been high for several weeks, reports say, with clashes between Turkish and Syrian youths.

source:bbcnews