Turkey approves cross-border military operations into Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey’s parliament has passed a government motion for a one-year mandate authorizing the military to use ground troops for cross-border military operations into Syria, after heated debates over the content of the motion and due to objections raised by the opposition to voting on such a significant motion in a closed-door session, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

There were 449 deputies present in parliament, and 320 voted in favor of the motion. Some 30 Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies were not present due to scheduled visits outside of Ankara or abroad.

Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay told reporters that Syria had admitted responsibility for the shelling, apparently referring to remarks by Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi, who offered his “sincerest condolences on behalf of the Syrian government to the families of the deceased and the Turkish people.”

Atalay also said that Syria has reassured the UN that “such an incident will not occur again.”

Stressing that the motion was “not a war mandate,” Atalay said that it would have a deterrent effect.