Turkey would not bomb ‘fraternal’ Syrians, PM says

ISTANBUL

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin after their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Wednesday, July 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dismissed accusations from Syria’s information minister that Turkey was involved in July 18’s deadly bombing in Damascus, saying Ankara would never do such things to the “fraternal” people of Syria.
 
"Misinformation is a common method for governments to use in times like these," Erdoğan said. "No one can say that we would take such a step toward a fraternal people like the Syrians. The regime needs to question itself first over this."
 
Erdoğan said there were cities that had been burned to the ground in Syria at the moment and that the government had to provide answers as to how this happened, daily Milliyet reported.
 
"The regime needs to ask itself how the opposition was formed and how these defections within the army appeared," Erdoğan said. "The accusations of Information Minister [Umran al-Zuabi] are unacceptable."
 
Erdoğan also touched on recent talks in Geneva, pointing to discussions over a prospective transitional government that could prepare the country for a democratic future.

"Nothing will change, though, if [President] Bashar [al-Assad] remains in power," Erdoğan said.