News / Middle East

Assad Accuses Turkey of Contributing to Bloodshed in Syria

Young demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Al Kasten, near Idlib,June 29, 2012.Young demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Al Kasten, near Idlib,June 29, 2012.
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Young demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Al Kasten, near Idlib,June 29, 2012.
Young demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Al Kasten, near Idlib,June 29, 2012.
VOA News
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has accused neighboring Turkey of supporting "terrorists" and contributing to the bloodshed in Syria.

The Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet quoted Assad as saying Turkey gave logistical support and had a desire to interfere in Syria's internal affairs.

In the remarks published Wednesday, Assad also accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of pursuing a sectarian agenda.  Both Turkey and Syria are majority Sunni-Muslim countries, but Assad and much of his ruling party are from the minority Alawite sect, an off-shoot of Shi'ite Islam.

The newspaper on Tuesday published the first part of its interview with Assad, in which he said he regrets that his force shot down a Turkish military jet last month.  He insisted the plane was flying in Syrian airspace that had been used by Israeli planes three times.

Turkey says the jet entered Syrian airspace by mistake and had flown back to international airspace before Syria shot it down on June 22.

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by: Anonymous
July 05, 2012 8:51 PM
When you dump several thousand of terrorized men women and children who lost homes due to indiscriminent shelling you can expect not only Turkey but the world to help. Cry the blues Assad, from what you've done to your own people, you are lucky the victims families or the FSA haven't already killed you.

by: Anonymous
July 05, 2012 8:26 PM
Blame it on anyone but yourself Assad, you always do that, and YOU are the prime reason this whole mess began and YOU are the one guilty of genocide. It is YOU that should be hung in front of the world for killing innocent men, women and children. YOU can't blame anyone but yourself. I look forward to the FSA capturing you, that will be a great day for all, except you...

by: John Vesikar from: Australia
July 04, 2012 6:55 PM
Syria supported the PKK for years. Payback time. Well done Turkey.
In Response

by: John Vesikar from: Australian
July 05, 2012 5:39 PM
Dear Asphalentrus.

See the response from "Martin" to answer your question about "what other country".

I'm an independant opinionated political observer being an Australian of Indian origin. Being Hindu, I find your comments very disturbing and racist against all Muslims. As for the "ugly empty headed" I am cannot rationally figure that one out. How can a country like Turkey go from 47th highest GDP in the world to 16th within 50 years and without any oil or other forms of easy money. You guessed it by mostly having something in that head. I hope you can keep your comments in future to a political nature and stop the racism/stereotyping which mostly comes about by the fear of the unknown. But knowing your type, who can't control their rage, now you'll hate India too because of me and state some stereotype that puts us all in a single pigeon hole. Next will be of course Australia.
In Response

by: Asphalentrus from: Greece
July 05, 2012 5:45 AM
Turkey... what other nation calls itself after a particularly ugly type of chicken...??? ugly empty headed nation of Muslimes... Yeah, we should trust them Turkies... what a joke

by: Godwin from: Nigeria
July 04, 2012 10:18 AM
Now we can see that the thought that it was Israel's jet came only as a reprisal attack because Israel appeared to say time is up for Assad. What he really meant to do was give it back to Turkey straight in the face, 'It's a sectarian espionage, Turkey'. If Israel has been there 3 times and you shoot Turkey down in its first attempt, how true can your thinking it was Israel jet be? I can see the hand of Tehran to maintain a hold in the middle east, for that sounds like the voice of Ahmadinejad even though it's the hand of Assad we see.
In Response

by: Africa in Christ from: Africa
July 04, 2012 11:16 AM
excellent comment...!!!! Nigeria, you are on the intellectual map... AND you know your Bible... - The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau

by: melvin polatnick from: USA
July 04, 2012 7:54 AM
Spanking is not only reserved for a bad child it is being used to punish adults that disrespect authority. Spankers prefer an electric cable; they are easily available and do a better job than an ordinary whip. Spankers are not interested in obtaining a confession but only in handing out punishment. Prisons are being replaced because of its high costs; frequent spankings are the best way of punishing disobedience.

by: Cephalonya from: Greece
July 04, 2012 6:59 AM
hey Assad, that what comes of trust in Muslime nations... especially Turkey...
In Response

by: Martin from: Australia
July 04, 2012 8:19 PM
And Greece for anyone who has Google Chrome can see that it is the most anti-Western nation in Europe. Their media sides with Assad and they do not want the USA to use the American military base in Souda because it will be used against their big brother the Russians.

Tell your paid stooges to get out of congress and come back to Greece and let the USA once again shine as the beacon of democracy.

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