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Turkey: Assad has less than a week to heed reform calls
Ankara has long been trying to persuade Assad to halt a military crackdown on demonstrations that has killed more than 1,300 civilians and forced thousands to take refuge across the border.
Erşat Hürmüzlü, an advisor to Turkish President Abdullah Gül, told the Dubai-based al-Arabiya channel on Sunday night that Turkey would be closely watching what Assad tells his people in a speech on Monday.
In his speech, Assad denounced “saboteurs” for the unrest, but also announced the formation of a committee to study constitutional amendments, including one that would open the way for the formation of political parties other than the ruling Baath Party. He said he expected an entire package of reforms by September or the end of the year at the latest.
Hürmüzlü had stated that it would be positive if the Syrian administration responded to these demands within a period that does not exceed a week. He added that if they did not do this, “it would not be possible to offer any cover for the leadership in Syria because there is the danger … that we had always been afraid of, and that is foreign intervention.”
Several European countries have submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council to condemn Syria's crackdown on protesters. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has indicated he would not support such a resolution.
Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed groups and Islamists, backed by foreign powers. Syria has barred most international journalists from entering the country, making it difficult to verify activists and officials' accounts.
More than 10,000 Syrian refugees have already crossed into Turkey, and Turkish officials say a further 10,000 are sheltering close to the border just inside Syria in the olive groves and rich farmland around the town of Jisr al-Shughour.
Meanwhile, Hürmüzlü is set to make a visit to Syrian refugees in Hatay on Tuesday.
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