KUWAIT CITY, June 23, (Agencies): The death toll of Syria’s Saturday violence jumped to 93, including 13 army defectors, the opposition Local Coordination Committees said.

In its tally update, the LCC said the continuous violence has left 22 people killed in Deir Al-Zour, 18 in Damascus countryside, 11 in Aleppo, eight in Deraa and Homs, four in Hama, three in Idlib and one in Damascus.

It noted that several explosions were heard in north Damacus countryside.

Government forces continued heavy pounding of the town of Telmans in Idlib, the LCC said, adding that this coincided with crackdown against activists in the town.

In Deir Al-Zour, scores of people fell dead when the army and security forces opened fire indiscriminately on participants in the funeral of some civilians who were killed by government fire a day earlier.

In Damascus countryside, government forces executed 13 army defectors who recently joined the Syrian Free Army.

It added that the regime forces have continued pounding opposition bastions Deraa and Aleppo and forged ahead with a broad crackdown against activists across the nation.

Retaliatory
Turkey will take retaliatory steps against Syria for the downing of one of its military jets, President Abdullah Gul said Saturday, even as he suggested that the aircraft may have violated Syrian airspace.
It was not clear if Gul was suggesting military retaliation, increased sanctions against Syria or other possible steps, including demands for an apology, and his aide would not comment on his words. But Faruk Celik, Turkey’s Labor and Social Security Minister, said Turkey would retaliate “either in the diplomatic field or give other types of response.”

“Even if we assume that there was a violation of Syria’s airspace — though the situation is still not clear — the Syrian response cannot be to bring down the plane,” Celik told reporters.

“The incident is unacceptable,” he said. “Turkey cannot endure it in silence.”

Syria said Friday its forces had shot down a Turkish military plane that entered its air space. The plane, an unarmed F-4, went down in the Mediterranean Sea about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the Syrian town of Latakia, Turkey said.

The incident further escalated tensions between Syria and NATO-member Turkey. The two neighbors used to be allies before the Syrian revolt began in March 2011, but Turkey has become one of the strongest critics of the Syrian regime’s brutal response to the country’s uprising and is playing host to civilian and military Syrian opposition groups.

In Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the recent defection of a Syrian pilot to Jordan and the downing of the Turkish jet showed that the Syrian conflict could have far-reaching repercussions.
“Our main concern is the spillover of the crisis into neighborhood countries. No country is immune from this spillover,” he said. “If this conflict were to turn into all-out sectarian or civil war, Iraq would be affected, Lebanon would be affected, Jordan would not be immune, Turkey could be (affected).”

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was “greatly worried” by the incident, urged a thorough investigation and welcomed Turkey’s cool-headed reaction in the incident’s immediate aftermath.

“Everything must be done to ensure that there won’t be any further escalation in the already tense region,’ he said in a statement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuoglu chaired a meeting Saturday with military officials during which they discussed possible steps and a search and rescue mission for the two missing pilots, the Foreign Ministry said. There was no announcement after the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc insisted the plane was not a fighter jet but a reconnaissance plane and said Turkey was awaiting an explanation from Syria.

The president said Turkey was still trying to establish the exact circumstances of the incident, but said it was “routine” for jets flying in high-speeds to unintentionally violate other countries’ air spaces for short periods of time.

“These incidents are routine,” Gul said. “They are incidents that are not ill-intentioned and happen because of the speeds (of the jets).”

“Was that the case, or did (the incident) occur in our own air space, these facts will emerge,” he said. “No one should have any doubt that whatever (action) is necessary will be taken.”

Gul did not elaborate. But Turkey said after an April border shooting incident — in which two people inside a Turkish refugee camp died— that it would call on its NATO allies to intervene should it feel its security was being threatened.

Syrian coast guards joined Turkish coast guards in their search for the jet’s two missing crew members for a second day Saturday, Arinc, the deputy prime minister said. Gul said earlier that some pieces of the wreckage had been found.

Late Friday, Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, said the military had spotted an “unidentified aerial target” flying at low altitude and high speed.

“The Syrian anti-air defenses counteracted with anti-aircraft artillery, hitting it directly,” SANA said. “The target turned out to be a Turkish military plane that entered Syrian airspace and was dealt with according to laws observed in such cases.”

Syria claimed the jet violated its air space over territorial waters, penetrating about 1 kilometer (0.62 mile). It said Syrian forces only realized that it was a Turkish jet after firing.

On Saturday, the banner headline of Turkish newspaper Hurriyet accused Syria of “Playing with Fire,” while Vatan newspaper said Syria would “pay the price” for the attack.

Arinc and other government ministers however, urged restraint.

“We must remain calm and collected,” he said. “We must not give premium to any provocative speeches and acts.”

The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said the downing of the plane was unacceptable but also urged calm.

“All diplomatic channels must be kept open. We are expecting a coolheaded assessment of the incident,” he added.

Salaries
Saudi Arabia is set to pay the salaries of the rebel Free Syrian Army to encourage mass defections from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported on Saturday.

The payments would be made in either US dollars or euros — which would mean a rise in salaries as the Syrian pound has fallen sharply in value since the revolt started 16 months ago, the broadsheet said.
The idea was first proposed to Saudi Arabia by Arab officials in May, the Guardian reported, citing sources in three Arab states and adding that the plan has also been discussed with US officials.
The Guardian also claims that Turkey has allowed the establishment of a command centre in Istanbul co-ordinating the supply of weapons to the rebel fighters in Syria, staffed by more than 20 mainly Syrian nationals.

The report comes amid a crisis between Turkey and Syria after Damascus confirmed that it shot down a Turkish fighter jet that it said had violated Syrian airspace.

The Guardian said Turkey sees weapon supply lines as crucial to the defence of its border with its former close ally Syria, with Syrian forces edging closer in an attempt to stop guns crossing the border into the hands of rebel fighters.

The Guardian says its reporters witnessed weapons being transferred across border from Turkey into Syria in early June.

On Friday, Ankara denied allegations in a New York Times report, citing US officials and Arab intelligence sources, that Turkey was among a number of countries shipping weapons to Syrian rebels over the border.

“Turkey does not ship weapons to any neighbouring country, including Syria,” foreign ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said.

The neighbours’ relations are already strained over outspoken condemnation by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Syria’s bloody crackdown on protests against Assad’s government.
Turkey is hosting more than 30,000 Syrian refugees living in camps near the border, according to foreign ministry figures, as well as army defectors including 12 generals.