Turkish Foreign Minister Calls For End To Syrian ViolenceANKARA (AFP)--Turkey's foreign minister on Monday reiterated calls for an end to Syria's bloody crackdown on anti-regime protesters, saying operations had "intensified" despite talks last week with Bashar al Assad.
"The operations must end immediately...if not there will nothing for us to discuss" with the Syrian regime, Ahmet Davutoglu told a press conference.
The minister held talks with Assad for more than six hours during a visit to Damascus last Tuesday, pleading that he end bloodshed and open the path to political reforms.
Instead of a halt in operations in the days that have followed, "they have intensified," said Davutoglu, who condemned the violence in Latakia a day after gunboats pounded the port.
"We are calling once again on the Syrian administration to end the bloodshed immediately...these operations can in no way be justified," Davutoglu said.
Ankara, whose ties with Damascus have flourished in recent years, has repeatedly called on Assad to initiate reforms but has stopped short of calling for his departure.
The Syrian regime has sought to crush weeks of protests with brutal force, killing more than 1,600 civilians and arresting at least 12,000 of dissenters, rights activists say.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 15, 2011 13:47 ET (17:47 GMT)