Turkey seeks parliament approval to deploy troops beyond borders.

Turkey seeks parliament approval to deploy troops beyond borders.(AA).The Turkish government on Thursday sought parliament’s approval to deploy troops beyond its borders, saying “aggressive action” by Syria's military had become a serious threat to its security, according to a memorandum sent to parliament. After having shelled Syrian targets on Wednesday Turkish artillery again hit targets in Syria on Thursday morning in reprisal for cross-border fire that killed five Turkish civilians the previous day, a security source told AFP. “Artillery fire resumed at 03:00 GMT this morning,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Several Syrian soldiers have been killed in Turkish fire, a watchdog said earlier, without giving an exact figure.
Ibrahim Kalin, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, said on his Twitter account that Turkey had no interest in a war with Syria but would protect its borders. He said political and diplomatic initiatives would continue. Turkey has demanded that the U.N. Security Council take action against Damascus. NATO in an emergency meeting Wednesday backed Turkey and called on Syria to respect international law “The Alliance continues to stand by Turkey and demands the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an Ally and urges the Syrian regime to end flagrant violations of international law,” a NATO statement said after the meeting was called at member Ankara's request. The alliance said Syria's “recent aggressive acts at NATO's southeastern border” were a “flagrant breach of international law and a clear and present danger” to an ally. “The most recent shelling... which caused the death of five Turkish citizens and injured many, constitutes a cause of greatest concern and is strongly condemned by all Allies,” it added. Earlier, NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen had spoken to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu to express “his strong condemnation of the incident in Akcakale” town, a spokeswoman said.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Thursday condemned Syria for shelling that killed civilians in Turkey, and urged restraint after Ankara returned fire.“I strongly condemn yesterday’s shelling by Syrian forces of the Turkish border town of Akcakale, which killed five and injured many more,” Ashton said, adding: “I call for restraint from all sides.”
Ashton said she was in contact with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to express the European Union's “solidarity and our condolences to the families of the victims and to the Turkish people.”She said she was following Turkish pounding of Syrian military positions “extremely closely” given mounting concern over “the tragic spill-over effects of the Syrian crisis in neighboring countries”.

She added in her statement: “I once again urge the Syrian authorities to put an immediate end to the violence and fully respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all neighboring countries -- such violations of Turkey's sovereignty cannot be tolerated.”
In related news, Syria’s chief ally Iran echoed Ashton’s sentiments and urged Syria and Turkey to both show “restraint”, according to the Fars news agency.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran asks both sides to show restraint, to investigate the issue and take note of the enemy's goals in the region,” Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab affairs, Hossein Amir Adbolahian, told the news agency.“Both sides have to take note of armed extremist and terrorist groups in the region.... The security in the region lies in increasing control over the borders around Syria,” he said.Read the full story here, more here.