Turkey Continues Being Involved in Syrian Domestic Affairs

Turkey continues being involved in Syrian domestic affairs

times.am - 6/3/2012

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu said the Syrian regimecommitted crimes against humanity `on a daily basis,' and the U.N. hadto take measures to stop it, which could include a possible armsdelivery to the opposition. Hurriyet Daily News informs about this.

DavutoÄ?lu spoke on March 3 at a joint news conference with his Italiancounterpart, Giulio Terzi. Both ministers criticized Syria forblocking a Red Cross convoy from delivering badly needed aid to arebellious neighborhood in the central city of Homs.

`The incidents in Syria have turned into army regulars massacringtheir own people,' DavutoÄ?lu said.

`The regime used live rounds only against protesters previously, nowthey are shelling civilian neighborhoods indiscriminately withartillery rounds.

`That is not acceptable even in case of war,' he said. `Theinternational community must speak louder.'

`The lack of international consensus is giving Syria the courage tocontinue,' he said. DavutoÄ?lu said not accepting U.N. observers intothe country and blocking humanitarian aid constituted as other crimescommitted by the regime. `That is why the firmest message should begiven to the Syrian regime,' DavutoÄ?lu said.

That message could involve arming the Syrian opposition, DavutoÄ?lusaid as reported by daily Hürriyet. `We believe that diplomaticpressure on the Assad regime must be increased,' Terzi said.

`We say this not only from the point of view of the EU. We believe allinternational institutions must do this.' Both foreign ministersreferred to the possibility of a solution modeled on Yemen, whereformer President Ali Abdullah Saleh handed power to a successor in amove intended to bring peace after more than a year of violentprotests against Saleh's longtime rule. Terzi said Assad had lostlegitimacy as a leader and should seek terms to go into exile as Salehhad done. `There must be a change,' he said.

On March 2, DavutoÄ?lu met for four hours with Syrian oppositionleaders in Istanbul. He said he advised them on what steps they shouldtake, an apparent reference to the failure of the splinteredopposition to organize into a cohesive entity.

Remind that clashes in Syria have lasted for already a year. Accordingto the UN more that 7500 people have already killed as a result ofclashes.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned Turkey not to be involved inSyrian domestic affairs but Turkey continues doing it.