Turkey authorizes military operations in Syria

In this Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 photo, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and his deputy Bulent Arinc are seen at Turkey's parliament in Ankara, Turkey. Turkey fired on Syrian targets for a second day Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012, but said it has no intention of declaring war, despite tensions after deadly shelling from Syria killed five civilians in a Turkish border town. Turkey's Parliament, meanwhile, began an emergency session to discuss a bill authorizing the military to launch cross border operations in Syria. If approved, the bill could more easily open the way to unilateral action by Turkey's armed forces inside Syria, without the involvement of its Western and Arab allies. (AP Photo)

AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's Parliament authorized military operations against Syria on Thursday and its military fired on targets there for a second day after deadly shelling from Syria killed five civilians in a Turkish border town.

For its part, Syria admitted it was responsible for the shelling that killed five people in Turkey and formally apologized for the deaths, a top Turkish official said.

Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said Syria has reassured the U.N. that "such an incident will not occur again."

The border violence has added a dangerous new dimension to Syria's civil war, dragging Syria's neighbors deeper into a conflict that activists say has already killed 30,000 people since an uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March 2011.

Atalay said Parliament's authorization was not declaration of war on Syria but gives Turkey the right to respond to any future attacks from Syria.

"The bill is not for war," Atalay said. "It has deterrent qualities."

Cross-border tensions escalated Wednesday after a shell fired from inside Syria landed on a home in the Turkish village of Akcakale, killing two women and three of their daughters and wounding at least 10 others, according to Turkish media.

The bill Thursday opens the way for unilateral action by Turkey's armed forces inside Syria without the involvement of Turkey's Western or Arab allies. Turkey has used a similar provision to repeatedly attack suspected Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq.

Still, Atalay said Turkey's "main priority" was to "act together with the international community."

"That is why we called on NATO and the United Nations to take up the issue," Atalay said.

The NATO military alliance, of which Turkey is a member, met at an emergency session in Brussels and condemned the attack on Turkey. NATO demanded "the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an ally" and urged the Syrian regime to "put an end to flagrant violations of international law."

The Turkish response to the shelling was prompt — it fired salvos of artillery rounds deep inside Syria.

Mustafa Guclu, a witness in Akcakale, said the Turkish military fired five rounds of artillery "after midnight" toward Syria and another round around 5 a.m. on Thursday.

"I have not heard any more shelling since then," he told the Associated Press.

The Syrian mortar shell damaged the door and walls of a house in Akcakale, while shrapnel poked holes and shattered windows of neighboring houses and shops.

Some residents of Akcakale abandoned their homes close to the border and spent the night on the streets. Others gathered outside the mayor's office, afraid to return to their homes as the dull thud of distant artillery fire rumbled.

Turks have grown weary of the burden of involvement in the Syrian conflict, which includes the hosting of 90,000 Syrian refugees in camps along the border.

Yet Turkey is still loath to go it alone in Syria, and is anxious for any intervention to have the legitimacy conferred by a U.N. resolution or the involvement of a broad group of allies. Turkey is mindful in part of inconclusive ground missions, mostly in the 1990s, against Kurdish guerrillas based in northern Iraq, as well as the bitter lessons of being seen as an occupying power that are associated with the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq.

Reaching deeper into history, Turkey is aware of Mideast sensibilities over Ottoman rule over much of the region.

On a visit to Pakistan on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed his government's concern over the escalation of tensions.

Lavrov, speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, said Syria has assured Russia, an ally, that such an incident as the shelling that killed the Turks will not happen again.

"It is of great concern for us," Lavrov said. "This situation is deteriorating with every coming day."

Germany's foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, said NATO members agree on the need for solidarity but also on prudence in reacting to events on the Turkish-Syrian border.

The Turkish retaliatory shelling and steps to authorize possible military intervention against Syria were the latest events to sharply escalate tensions between the two former allies.

In June, Turkey reinforced its border with anti-aircraft missiles and threatened to target any approaching Syrian military elements after Syrian forces brought down a Turkish jet, killing its two pilots. Turkey said the plane was in international airspace, countering Syrian claims that it was in Syrian airspace.

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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Christopher Torchia in Istanbul, Elizabeth Kennedy in Beirut and Nahal Toosi in Islamabad contributed

Russia dismisses talk of new spy scandal with U.S.

Turkey authorizes military operations inside Syria as conflict bleeds across borders

AKCAKALE, Turkey - Turkey sanctioned further military action against Syria on Thursday and bombarded targets across the border with artillery for a second day, raising the stakes in a conflict that increasingly is bleeding outside Syrian territory.

Although both sides moved to calm tensions, Turkey's parliament overwhelmingly approved a bill allowing the military to conduct cross-border operations into Syria — making clear that Ankara has military options that do not involve its Western or Arab allies.

It was the most dramatic escalation in tensions between the countries, which were close allies before the revolt against Syrian President Bashar Assad began in March 2011. Over the past 18 months, however, Turkey has become one of the strongest critics of the Syrian regime, accusing it of savagery and massacres against the opposition.

The rebels who are trying to bring down Assad have used Turkey as their base, enraging a regime that accuses foreign countries of fomenting the unrest inside Syria.

The spark for the latest hostility was a mortar shell fired from Syria that slammed into a house in the Turkish border village of Akcakale on Wednesday, killing two women and three children.

"(The shell) hit my neighbour next door. His wife, his children died," villager Bakir Kutlugil told The Associated Press. "Now I worry whether the next one will hit me or my neighbour."

Mehmet Yasin, another villager, said he feared Turkey will get drawn into more violence. "They are warring over there anyway. Why should we battle against anyone?" he asked.

The Turkish response to the Syrian shelling was swift — it fired salvos of artillery rounds inside Syria, contacted its NATO allies and convened Parliament for a vote authorizing further cross-border military operations if necessary.

The bill opens the way for unilateral action by Turkey's armed forces inside Syria. Turkey has used a similar provision to repeatedly attack suspected Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq.

Syria's U.N. envoy said Thursday that his government was investigating the source of the cross-border shelling and did not want any escalation of violence with Turkey.

Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said the Assad regime sent its "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims, but stopped short of an apology, pending the outcome of the investigation. He also urged Turkey to act "wisely, rationally" and prevent infiltration of "terrorists and insurgents" and the smuggling of arms across the border.

Turkish officials, however, characterized the statement as an apology.

Ja'afari said that the return shelling from Turkey early Thursday injured two Syrian army officials.

Syrian opposition figures in Akcakale, which has a clear sight line into Syria, said the targets of Turkey's retaliatory attacks included at least one tank and one anti-aircraft gun in the town of Tal Abyad in Raqqa province, where the Syrian regime and rebels are battling for control.

Some residents of Akcakale, fearful of more stray shells, abandoned their homes and spent the night on the streets. Others gathered outside the mayor's office, afraid to return to their homes as the dull thud of distant artillery fire rumbled.

The border violence has added a dangerous new dimension to Syria's civil war, dragging Syria's neighbours deeper into a conflict that activists say has already killed 30,000 people.

Still, both Syria and Turkey appear loath to see the situation spiral out of control.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that Turkey did not want war with Syria but was determined to protect its borders and its people.

"We want peace and security and nothing else. We could never want to start a war, "Erdogan said. "Turkey is a country which is capable of protecting its people and borders. No one should attempt to test our determination on the issue."

Erdogan suggested the Syrian shelling was not accidental, saying that shells had fallen on Turkish territory on seven previous occasions since the civil war began.

Thursday's military strikes against Syria and the parliamentary vote authorizing further action were Turkey's strongest response yet to a series of serious infractions this year — including a June incident in which Syria shot down a Turkish military jet, killing its two pilots.

Turkey said the plane was in international airspace, countering Syrian claims that it was in Syrian airspace. At the time, Turkey reinforced its border with anti-aircraft missiles and threatened to target any approaching Syrian military elements, but there was no retaliatory attack or attempt to authorize military action.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. believes Turkey's response was proportional and appropriate to "strengthen the deterrent effect so that these types of things don't happen again."

Fawaz A. Gerges, head of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics, said the latest violence shows just how easily the simmering tensions can ignite into a maelstrom.

"For months, the two sides have been engaged in low-intensity warfare, and what we have seen is a dangerous escalation," he said. "The potential for an all-out war is out there and there is no doubt that even though neither side wants it, a war could erupt because of a miscalculation on either side."

Syria and Turkey have a fraught history.

Turkey, which shares a 566-mile (911-kilometre) frontier with Syria, nearly went to war with its neighbour over Syrian support for Turkish Kurdish rebels in the 1990s. Turkey threatened military action in 1998, forcing Syria to expel Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The relationship improved dramatically over the past decade since Bashar Assad came to power in 2000 and the two countries reached out to build economic ties.

At the same time, Turkey, NATO's biggest Muslim member, emerged as a regional power in the past decade, backed by a growing economy, emerging democratic credentials and historical and cultural links to neighbours. It pursued pragmatic links with authoritarian leaders, but shifted to a pro-democracy position as uprisings swept the Middle East and North Africa.

The crackdown in Syria is acutely uncomfortable for Turkey, which does not want to be seen as a bystander to atrocities on its doorstep. At the same time, it is wary of scenarios such as a "buffer zone" inside Syria that could plunge its troops into battles with Syrian forces, drag in other countries and undo its image as a regional mediator.

Turks have grown weary of the burden of involvement in the Syrian conflict, which includes the hosting of 90,000 Syrian refugees in camps along the border.

Yet Turkey is still unwilling to go it alone in Syria, and is anxious for any intervention to have the legitimacy conferred by a U.N. resolution or the involvement of a broad group of allies.

Turkey is mindful in part of inconclusive ground missions, mostly in the 1990s, against Kurdish guerrillas based in northern Iraq, as well as the bitter lessons of being seen as an occupying power that are associated with the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq.

Reaching deeper into history, Turkey is aware of Mideast sensibilities over Ottoman rule over much of the region.

The Syrian conflict has left Assad an international pariah, although Iran, Russia and China have stood by their old ally. On a visit to Pakistan on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed his government's concern over the escalation of tensions.

Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad, Lavrov said Syria has assured Russia that such an incident will not happen again.

"It is of great concern for us," Lavrov said. "This situation is deteriorating with every coming day."

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Hundreds seen at risk in meningitis outbreak

Associated Press/Stephan Savoia - A sign requesting "No Soliciting" hangs on the door of New England Compounding in Framingham, Mass., Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. An outbreak of a rare and deadly form of fungal meningitis that has killed 4 people and sickened another 26 in five states is believed to have been traced back to a steroid manufactured by the New England Compounding Center. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

UPDATE adds Indiana as the sixth state to report a case; map shows states affected by meningitis outbreak

NEW YORK (AP) — The potential scope of the meningitisoutbreak that has killed at least five people widened dramatically Thursday as health officials warned that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of patients who got steroid back injections in 23 states could be at risk.

Clinics and medical centers rushed to contact patients who may have received the apparently fungus-contaminated shots. And the Food and Drug Administration urged doctors not to use any products at all from the Massachusetts pharmacy that supplied the suspect steroid solution.

It is not clear how many patients received tainted injections, or even whether everyone who got one will get sick.

So far, 35 people in six states — Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina and Indiana — have contracted fungal meningitis, and five of them have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All had received steroid shots for back pain, a highly common treatment.

In an alarming indication the outbreak could get a lot bigger, Massachusetts health officials said the pharmacy involved, the New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass., has recalled three lots consisting of a total of 17,676 single-dose vials of the steroid, preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate.

An unknown number of those vials reached 75 clinics and other facilities in 23 states between July and September, federal health officials said. Several hundred of the vials, maybe more, have been returned unused, one Massachusetts official said.

But many other vials were used. At one clinic in Evansville, Ind., more than 500 patients got shots from the suspect lots, officials said. At two clinics in Tennessee, more than 900 patients — perhaps many more — did.

The investigation began about two weeks ago after a case was diagnosed in Tennessee. The time from infection to onset of symptoms is anywhere from a few days to a month, so the number of people stricken could rise.

Investigators this week found contamination in a sealed vial of the steroid at the New England company, according to FDA officials. Tests are under way to determine if it is the same fungus blamed in the outbreak.

The company has shut down operations and said it is working with regulators to identify the source of the infection.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we advise all health care practitioners not to use any product" from the company, said Ilisa Bernstein, director of compliance for the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Tennessee has by far the most cases with 25, including three deaths. Deaths have also been reported in Virginia and Maryland.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include severe headache, nausea, dizziness and fever.

The type of fungal meningitis involved is not contagious like the more common forms. It is caused by a fungus often found in leaf mold and is treated with high-dose antifungal medications, usually given intravenously in a hospital.

Robert Cherry, 71, a patient who received a steroid shot at a clinic in Berlin, Md., about a month ago, went back Thursday morning after hearing it had received some of the tainted medicine.

"So far, I haven't had any symptoms ... but I just wanted to double check with them," Cherry said. "They told me to check my temperature and if I have any symptoms, I should report straight to the emergency room, and that's what I'll do."

The New England company is what is known as a compounding pharmacy. These pharmacies custom-mix solutions, creams and other medications in doses or in forms that generally aren't commercially available.

Other compounding pharmacies have been blamed in recent years for serious and sometimes deadly outbreaks caused by contaminated medicines.

Two people were blinded in Washington, D.C., in 2005. Three died in Virginia in 2006 and three more in Oregon the following year. Twenty-one polo horses died in Florida in 2009. Earlier this year, 33 people in seven states developed fungal eye infections.

Compounding pharmacies are not regulated as closely as drug manufacturers, and their products are not subject to FDA approval.

A national shortage of many drugs has forced doctors to seek custom-made alternatives from compounding pharmacies.

The New England company at the center of the outbreak makes dozens of other medical products, state officials said. But neither the company nor health officials would identify them.

The company said in a statement Thursday that despite the FDA warning, "there is no indication of any potential issues with other products." It called the deaths and illnesses tragic and added: "The thoughts and prayers of everyone employed by NECC are with those who have been affected."

A 2011 state inspection of the Framingham facility gave the business a clean bill of health.

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Associated Press writers Travis Loller in Nashville, Jay Lindsay in Boston, Randall Chase in Wilmington, Del., and AP chief medical writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this story.

US accuses Iran of jamming VOA, other outside broadcasts amid currency unrest

WASHINGTON - The government-appointed body that oversees Voice of America and other U.S.-sponsored broadcasts is accusing Iran of jamming radio and television programming into the Middle East and eastern Europe amid protests in Iran over the Iranian currency crisis.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors said Thursday that the jamming is coming from inside Iran and violates international telecommunications regulations. It said the interference began on Wednesday and is affecting VOA's Persian service, along with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's and Farsi-language programming from Radio Farda. The jamming is also affecting the BBC, it said in a statement.

The board said the jamming was affecting satellite transponders operated by the Paris-based European satellite Eutelsat and had blocked programming not only to Iran but also broadcasts aimed at people in Georgia, Armenia, Bosnia and Korea.