At least 40 people were killed and about 100 injured in car bomb explosions Saturday in Turkey close to the Syrian border, news agencies quoted Interior Minister Muammer Guler as saying. Two car bombs exploded in Reyhanli, a town in the south-eastern province of Hatay, which borders Syria, and is home to many Syria refugees. Syrian activists said some of the injured were Syrian refugees. The Anadolu news agency, quoting the Interior Ministry, said the cars blew up near a government building and a post office, damaging several buildings. Television images showed major destruction and a bomb crater in a street. Initial reports had spoken of four dead. Many others died of their injuries in the first few hours after the attacks. Many Syrian refugees have taken shelter in the Reyhanli area, which is close to the Cilvegozu border crossing. There was no word on who planted the bombs. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu termed the bombings a "provocation" against Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the bombings might be either connected to the civil war in Syria or an effort to sabotage the peace process between Ankara and its Kurdish minority. The attack was the most bloody incident on Turkey's side of the border since the uprising against Syrian al-Assad regime began in March 2011. More than 70,000 people have been killed. Ankara has allowed in Syrian opposition fighters and refugees. It recently ratcheted up pressure on al-Assad to go, with Erdogan urging the United States to become more involved to stop the bloodshed. A car bomb attack in Reyhanli in February killed 12 people and injured about 30.
