AFP - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad Tuesday to press for reform as a deadly crackdown against protesters raged in the Arab country, an aide said.
Questioned by AFP, the aide would not give other details about the telephone conversation between the two leaders, who enjoy a close personal relationship.
On Saturday, Ankara had voiced "deep concern" over a bloody crackdown by the authorities on thousands of protesters who demonstrated across neighbouring Syria calling for reform and the fall of Assad's regime.
It also stressed that reform efforts in Syria should be "continued with determination, completed in the shortest possible time and put into practice without wasting time."
Under Erdogan's Islamist-rooted government, Turkey's once-tense ties with Syria have flourished, and Ankara has so far stopped short of harsh-worded criticism of the deadly crackdown on Syrian protesters.
No comments:
Post a Comment