Turkey Boosts 'Vigilance' after Syria Chemical Attack

The Turkish army has stepped up its "vigilance" following last week's suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday.

"Since the chemical weapons (attack), we are of course in a situation of heightened vigilance," he told reporters while paying homage to Turkish soldiers patrolling the country's common border with Syria.

Davutoglu said "all options" were on the table.

"In critical situations like this, all alternatives ... all options, all dimensions, all scenarios are under discussion," he said.

Davutoglu said Monday that Turkey was prepared to take part in an international coalition against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad even if the U.N. Security Council failed to reach a consensus.

Momentum has been building for international action against Assad's regime after the suspected chemical strikes on August 21 which are said to have killed hundreds on the outskirts of Damascus.

Davutoglu has branded the attack a crime against humanity, saying it must not go unpunished.

Turkey -- the second biggest military force in NATO -- shares a 910-kilometer (560-mile) border with Syria.