Turkey PM condemns Syria 'savagery'

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Syrian forces’ crackdown on protesters as “savagery” and suggested the violence could force Turkey to back any UN Security Council resolutions against the country.

The stance is a strong turnaround in Turkey’s position toward Syria.

Until now, Erdogan has urged President Bashar Assad to carry out widespread reforms and avoided any direct criticism of the regime.

Syrian troops backed by dozens of tanks have massed outside a virtually deserted town near the Turkish border preparing to move in after protesters and mutinous forces rose up against Assad’s rule.

Around 2,700 people have fled into Turkey.

Erdogan said in a TV interview that images coming out of Syria were “unpalatable”.

He accused Assad of taking the situation too lightly and his younger brother - who is in charge of Syrian forces – of inhumane behaviour.

“I say this clearly and openly: From a humanitarian point of view, his brother (Maher Assad) is not behaving in a humane manner. And he is chasing after savagery,” Erdogan said.

“Out of necessity, this is putting the UN Security Council into operation. There are preparations going on there. In the face of this, we as Turkey, cannot continue to (speak in favour of) Syria.”

Four European nations this week presented a revised resolution to the United Nations condemning Syria for the crackdown.