16
May
President Obama at a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday addressed the ‘democratic transition’ in Syria “without Assad.”
12
May
“It is time for the international community to act together against this regime.”
— Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the world must act against Syria after bombings that killed 46 people on Sunday.
28
Apr
The international community, and especially the peoples of the Middle East, have lost confidence in any report which argues that there are weapons of mass destruction or chemical weapons… Right now, no-one wants to believe them. And if Assad uses chemical weapons some day… I still think Turkey’s primary reaction would be asking for more support to the opposition rather than an intervention.
‘Syria’s neighbors cautious about U.S.-led intervention’
(Source: reuters.com)
05
Dec
This debate argument is making the case against Turkey becoming an EU member state by citing cases of domestic violence and unreported assaults which are “not acceptable for the standards of the EU.”
EU ‘standards.’ Okay.
27
Nov
“There are three forces in Syria: the regime force, the Free Army force and we became the third in line in this struggle.”
Syrian Kurds have begun to take control of cities that government forces have withdrawn from to fight against the Free Syrian Army elsewhere in the country. This has caused increased tension in neighboring Turkey as Turkish Kurds look for the same autonomy their brothers across the border are fighting for.
04
Oct
LA Times | Turkey says it has no intention for war with Syria
Turkish officials declared their country does not want to enter a war with Syria, even as lawmakers authorized further military operations against the embattled nation and Turkish artillery struck Syrian positions for a second day.
“We have no intention for a war,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists in Ankara, reported the semiofficial Anatolian news agency. “We want only peace and security in our region.”
03
Oct
“There has been an attack on Turkey’s mainland and our citizens have lost their lives… We are not blinded by rage, but we will protect our rights to the end in the face of such an attack on our soil.”
— Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc (via The Telegraph)
Turkey Fires Artillery at Syrian Targets in Retaliation for Civilian Deaths
The Turkish prime minister announced on Wednesday night that Turkey had fired artillery at targets in Syria, in retaliation for Syrian mortar fire that fell in a Turkish border town and killed five Turkish civilians. It was the first instance of significant fighting across the Turkish-Syrian border since the Syrian uprising began last year, and raised the prospect of greater involvement by the NATO alliance, to which Turkey belongs.
“This atrocious attack was immediately responded to adequately by our armed forces in the border region, in accordance with rules of engagement,” said a written statement from the office of the prime minister, carried by the semiofficial Anatolian News Agency. “Targets were shelled in locations identified by radar.”
“Turkey, in accordance with the rules of engagement and international law, will never leave such provocations by the Syrian regime against our national security unrequited,” the statement added.
18
Sep
UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi visited a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey on Tuesday where dozens of Syrians staged a demonstration outside the camp denouncing President Bashar al-Assad. Brahimi later talked to Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf in Jordan, the first interview since his meeting with Assad, about the deteriorating situation.
“The point I’m making as serious as strongly as I can is that the situation is very bad and worsening. Its not improving. Syrians on both sides say from time to time we are going to win very soon. I don’t think it’s true I don’t think any side is winning now and in the future the situation is getting worse and it’s a huge threat to the region.”
11
Aug
…we have to do it in a way that always keeps in mind our goal, number one, is to hasten the end of the bloodshed and the Assad regime. That is our strategic goal. And we have to analyze everything against that goal. And then, of course, we want to be good partners in helping the Syrian people build the kind of democratic, pluralistic society and government that will respect human rights and restore a better future. So, this is how we are proceeding.
