Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Turkey and U.S. Discussed Welfare of Assad Family


Today's Zaman reports:

Turkey on Tuesday increased pressure on Syria to cease its brutal crackdown on pro-reform demonstrators, a day after Syrian troops backed by tanks and snipers stormed a southern city, where the dead reportedly lay unclaimed in the streets.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan phoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to urge "restraint," the prime minister's office said, while Turkey's ambassador to Damascus met Syrian Prime Minister Adel Safar to express Turkey's "deep concern and sorrow over the loss of many lives."
...
In a related development, according to a report by Turkish daily newspaper Sabah published on Tuesday, US CIA chief Leon Panetta spent five days in the Turkish capital at the end of March discussing regional tensions as Syria became the latest Mideast country to erupt in protests.

The visit to meet with Turkish officials including intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), who according to Sabah was sent to Syria ... to meet Syrian President al-Assad ...

Panetta’s talks included planning for possible regime change in Syria and ensuring the safety of the Assad family, Sabah wrote without saying how it got the information. ...

During the meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Safar, Önhon underlined that Syrian people's soundness and welfare has been a priority for Turkey, Turkish diplomatic sources said ...

Önhon told Safar that Turkey has welcomed statements by the Syrian administration, which says a series of reforms that will meet the legitimate demands of the people will be implemented, the sources told Anatolia. The ambassador has reiterated Turkey’s views of the situation in Syria which are: acting with the utmost moderation in this period in Syria; avoiding disproportionate and extreme use of force; continuation and completion of reform works with determination; acting in a way compatible with the spirit of the announced reforms; rebuilding societal peace; and avoiding actions which will further escalate the incidents. During the meeting with Safar, Önhon also reiterated Turkey’s readiness to lend its best support for getting reforms carried out, the sources said.
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