The UN Security Council has condemned the Syrian mortar attack on the Turkish border town of that killed five civilians.

Ambassador and current president of the Security Council Gert Rosenthal spoke out against the killings.

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the shelling by the Syrian armed forces of the Turkish town of Akcakale, which resulted in the deaths of five civilians, all of whom were women and children, as well as a number of injuries. The members of the Security Council expressed their sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey. The members of the Security Council underscored that this incident highlighted the grave impact the crisis in Syria has on the security of its neighbours and on regional peace and stability. The members of the council demanded that such violations of international law stop immediately and are not repeated. The members of the Security Council called on the Syrian Government to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours. The members of the Security Council called for restraint."

Despite Turkey' responding by shelling targets in Syria after the attack, and Parliament authorising military action inside Syria, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the actions were a deterrent and not a declaration of war.

"Turkey wants peace and only peace in the region, as well as safety. That is our sole concern. We don't want war and we never would. The consequence of the wars in the region, in Iraq and Afghanistan, is obvious. We are also aware of the price Syria has paid in 1.5 year."

The aggressive response by the Turkish Parliament has led to mass anti-war demonstrations in the country. Thousands of people can be seen here holding a rally in Istanbul's Taksim Square, as fears are raised that Parliament's actions could lead to further bloodshed.

Written and presented by Alfred Joyner