PM: Syria is not just a foreign policy problem

Syria is not and cannot solely be classified as a foreign policy issue for Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Jan. 19 in Gaziantep Hurriyetdailynews reported.

"My brothers, others came from thousands of kilometers away and justified invading Iraq. We cannot remain aloof from Syria, with which we have 910 kilometer-long border. We should do whatever is necessary and we will do so," Erdogan said, referring to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The brotherhood between the Turkish and Syrian people will deepen and new processes in trade, economy, education and tourism will start when the bloodshed finally ends and the rule of the people becomes official in Syria, he also said.

The Turkish Prime Minister said it was impossible for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stay in power, since he had lost legitimacy both in the eyes of the Syrian people and the world. "He can only extend the length of time he sits in that chair," Erdogan said. He continued slamming al-Assad yesterday, Jan. 20, while visiting refugee camps for Syrians on the Turkey-Syria border.

Al-Assad will explain his massacre

"Al-Assad's massacres surpass even those of his father," Erdogan stated, stressing that the Syrian President would sooner or later give an account for what he did.

Erdogan said the Syrian people were struggling to win their rights from a "dictator," and emphasized that the statement from a top Syrian official on Jan. 19 defined the Syrian people as "terrorists."
Erdogan was originally scheduled to visit two camps in Nizip and Islahiye. However, he couldn't travel to Islahiye as his helicopter was unable to take off due to adverse weather conditions. Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin was set to attend planned programs in Islahiye instead of Erdogan.