Tests on Syrian casualties show traces of chemical weapons, Turkey

Tests on Syrian war casualties arriving in Turkey indicate chemical weapons have been used by Syrian forces, and further tests are being carried out to verify the evidence, foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday.

“We have been making tests and we have some indications regarding chemical weapons being used, but in order to make sure and verify we are continuing these tests and will be sharing these tests with UN agencies,” he said.

Turkey confirmed last week that it had begun testing blood samples taken from Syrian casualties brought over its border for treatment to determine whether they were victims of chemical weapons. Mr Davutoglu said the prospect of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad using chemical weapons had long been a real concern for his country. – (Reuters)