Turkey calls for ‘urgent’ UN Security Council action on Syria

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

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Turkey has urged the U.N. Security Council to swiftly take measures to protect the Syrian people, stressing that Damascus has failed to comply with the conditions of the peace plan drawn up by special envoy Kofi Annan.

“The U.N. Security Council’s Presidential Statement stipulates the condition that the Syrian regime must fulfill all its commitments as pledged to Mr. Annan, 48 hours prior to April 12, the date on which violence in all its forms should be brought to an end in its entirety. Since this has not occurred, we urgently expect the Security Council to adopt a resolution that will also incorporate the necessary measures to provide for the protection of the Syrian people,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement late yesterday.

The statement said the regime not only failed to start withdrawing troops from residential areas by the April 10 deadline but also intensified attacks on civilians along the Turkish-Syrian border, where camps on Turkish soil were also hit.

“Turkey has fully supported Joint Special Envoy for the U.N. and League of Arab States Kofi Annan’s mission from its very inception; has assisted and continues to assist Mr. Annan’s efforts aimed at bringing an immediate end to the bloodshed in Syria and [is] initiating a political transition process in line with the people’s legitimate expectations. The Syrian opposition’s support for Kofi Annan was openly communicated in Istanbul to his deputy, Nasir El Kidva,” it added.