43 died Saturday, in a bombing near the border between Syria and Turkey that has heightened fear that the civil war in Damascus has begun trickling into its neighboring country.
According to USA Today, two car bombs erupted in the border city of Reyhanli, killing 43 and injuring more than 140.
Reyhanli is an area of Turkey just west of Aleppo-where much of the fighting between Bashar al-Assad's regime and its citizens has gone on since the civil war in Syria began during the Arab Spring in 2011.
It is a location known for housing Syrian refugees and citizens displaced by the violence just beyond its borders.
The Hatay province city is mostly comprised of Sunni Muslims and a half-million of the people that dwell there are Alawite-the minority religious sect to which Bashar al-Assad and his fellow rulers belong.
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on the widespread deaths Saturday.
"This awful news strikes an especially personal note for all of us, given how closely we work in partnership with Turkey," he said. "Our thoughts are with the wounded and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims."
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said that the bombings were directly linked to Syria, and that the attack deliberately targeted the displaced citizens.
"We know that the Syrian refugees have become a target of the Syrian regime," he said. "Reyhanli was not chosen by coincidence. Our thoughts are that their mukhabarat (Syrian intelligence agency) and armed organizations are the usual suspects in planning and the carrying out of such devilish plans," he said.
Turkey has not experienced extreme violence from its neighboring country's fight, but still has been tangentially involved in the war, as over 500,000 Syrians have sought refuge in any of the cities that share the 500-mile border with Turkey.
Many Syrians, fleeing to escape the civil war, have rented out houses and apartments in Reyhanli.
The attacks are being called one of the most violent in recent years.
Soner Cagaptay, an expert on Turkey at the Washington Institute, said that he thinks this will put pressure on President Barack Obama to demonstrate his backing the Turkish government.
"This...will increase the pressure on the U.S. president next week to do something to show support to Turkey when Erdogan visits him in Washington," he said. "Washington will be forced to take a more pro-active position on Syria, at least in rhetoric, whether or not there is appetite for such a position here."
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