Turkey urges Syria to stop crackdown
Turkish envoys on Thursday urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to meet the demands of pro-reform demonstrators but held out the prospect of closer economic ties, even as Western powers warned of sanctions if Syria's bloody crackdown does not cease.
The escalating efforts of Turkey, NATO's biggest Muslim ally, to intercede reflect its deep sensitivity to the Syrian uprising because it has a close relationship with Assad, but also sees itself as a model for regional democracy. (AP)
