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Turkish Foreign Minister Demands End To Syria Violence

09.08.2011 12:19

Turkey's foreign minister has pressed Syria to end its violent crackdown on antigovernment protesters.

Ahmet Davutoglu made the remarks on August 9 during a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

Activists and rights groups say more than 1,700 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising against Assad's authoritarian regime began in mid-March.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier this week that Turkey had "run out of patience" over the violence.

Turkey is a major Syrian trading partner, and the two countries share a 850-kilometer-long border.

Davutoglu's visit comes amid reports that Syrian forces today killed at least five civilians in raids on villages around the besieged city of Hama and moved into a town near the Turkish border.

On August 8, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain joined the growing international condemnation of the violence and recalled their ambassadors to Syria.

compiled from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/turkey_syria_violence/24291016.html

Copyright (c) 2011. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.