adminGul’s fears for regional stability followed a searing attack by Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan the day before when he accused Assad of “cowardice” for turning guns on his own people, evoking comparisons with Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. Erdogan bluntly told his former friend to quit.
In a sign that Turkish leaders may be moving past vitriolic rhetoric on Syria, once considered the Nato member’s friendliest neighbour, Turkish media reported that Turkey’s land commander had inspected troops near the border.
“We exerted enormous efforts in public and behind closed doors in order to convince the Syrian leadership to lead the democratic transition,” Gul said in a speech in London.
“Violence breeds violence. Now, unfortunately, Syria has come to a point of no return,” Gul told a think-tank.
The future of the entire Middle East could hinge on the fate of Syria, Gul said. “Defining this democratic struggle along sectarian, religious and ethnic lines would drag the whole region into turmoil and bloodshed,” he warned.
The United Nations says 3 500 people have been killed in the uprising, triggered by Arab revolts which have toppled leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Syria, which blames the unrest on “armed terrorist groups,” has barred most independent media. — AFP.
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