REYHANLI, Turkey (AFP) - The death toll in twin car bombings in a Turkish town near the Syrian border has increased to 50 after another body was recovered and a victim died in hospital, the health minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

"Three of the wounded remain in a critical condition," Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu was quoted as saying by the Haber-Turk newspaper.

Interior Minister Muammer Guler said the number of suspects held by the Turkish police had risen to 13, the private NTV television reported.

The attacks in the town of Reyhanli were the deadliest since the start of the uprising against the regime in neighbouring Syria two years ago.

Turkey has blamed a radical Marxist group affiliated with President Bashar al-Assad's regime for the attack, but it has denied the allegation.

The attacks also provoked a backlash against Syrian refugees in Turkey, whose number is around 400,000 but government officials have repeatedly warned against provocations and said Turkey will maintain its open-door policy for Syrians fleeing the regime's crackdown.