Only the cases of five Sivas suspects were dropped: PM

ANKARA

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. AP photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed criticism today over March 13’s decision to invoke the statute of limitations in the Sivas Massacre trial, saying cases were only dropped against five of the suspects.
 
Erdoğan told reporters that there were people serving life for the Sivas case and that only the cases of the remaining five people were dropped due to the statute of limitations.
 
"When we go to Sivas, 18-19-year-old girls come to us and cry to us, saying their fathers are innocent. I don't think it's right to look at it from a single point of view. I also don't think it's right to protest outside of the Ankara courthouse as mouthpieces for a certain ideology," Erdoğan said.



We are considering recalling ambassador to Syria: Turkish PM

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said today Turkey considered all options to pressure the Syrian regime, including recalling its ambassador to Syria, amid the foreign ministry's calls on Turkish nationals there to return to Turkey. 

Erdoğan talked to journalists after Friday prayers in Ankara. Turkey's ambassador to Syria is currently in the Turkish capital for deliberations, but he had not been officially recalled.

Turkish foreign ministry, meanwhile, announced that it will be closing its Damascus mission on March 22 and called on Turks in Syria to return home. 

"The Embassy in Damascus will halt all consular activities as of 5 p.m. on March 22," the announcement read. 

The announcement cited security risks for Turkish citizens in Syria and "strongly urged" them to come home.

Turkish consulate in Aleppo will remain open, the announcement said.