Turkey: Syrian Govt Commits Atrocity Against Own People

More than 100 people were killed in Syria`s flashpoint city of Hama on Monday, on the first day of Ramadan, after President Bashar al-Assad`s troops shelled the city. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The Syrian government has committed an atrocity by sending tanks against protesters in Hama, stated Turkish deputy PM B?lent Ar?n? Wednesday.

"I must say this clearly - what happened today in Hama is an atrocity. Whoever has done an act like that cannot be called our friend," said the vice-PM in what has been the harshest Turkish position since the start of pro-demoracy protests in Syria in March.

Turkey has traditionally held warm and friendly relations with the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad in neighboring Syria, but the stance toward the violence going on in the country has been increasingly negative.

Thousands of refugees from Syria have flocked to Turkey's southeast, and the Turkish government has been taking measures to accomodate them.

Previously Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been repeatedly calling on Assad to withdraw forces and to conduct swift democratic reforms.

Wednesday Arinc expressed disappointment that authorities in Syria have not heeded those calls and voiced the opinion that the events might lead to an overthrow of the Assad regime.

At the same time, the Times is writing that there is a possibility that Turkey might be led into a regional war with Syria, with uncertain consequences, quoting information that the Turkish army is already developing plans for such a course of events.

An option within this plan includes the creation of a buffer zone within the territory of Syria, which in effect means an invasion from Turkey.

On its turn, that might lead to further tensions in the region, as the Shiite domination in Syria would be disturbed, irking its other traditional ally Iran.

Since the start of the week, influential world leaders, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign affairs high representative Catherine Ashton and US President Barack Obama have voiced harsh criticisms against Assad and have called for an immediate stop of the violence.

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