Turkey recognizes Syrian coalition as legitimate representative of Syrian people

ANKARA

AA photo

Turkey recognized the Syrian national coalition today as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced, calling on the international community to do the same.

Turkey, however, stopped short of recognizing the coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the country, unlike France.

"Turkey, wholeheartedly welcoming this important achievement, once again reiterates its recognition of the Syrian National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people and calls upon all our brothers in the OIC to do so," Davutoğlu said in his address to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) ministerial meeting in Djibouti.

Davutoğlu's statement came a day after France recognized the national coalition as the sole representative of Syrian people and as the future Syrian government. Turkey's statement was not as powerful as the French one but underlined its recognition of the group as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The Syrian opposition decided to bring more dissident groups under a single umbrella last week in Doha following pressure to do so from the international community.

"I take this opportunity also to call upon the international community to fulfill their promises and extend full support and assistance to the coalition and the Syrian people," Davutoğlu said. "What the Syrian revolution and the Syrian people need now is not more speeches of sympathy and promise only, but effective and real support."