US: Turkey's strong stance on Syria welcome

The White House said on Tuesday that Turkish criticism of Syrian President Bashar Assad had deepened the isolation of his regime, and reiterated that he had lost legitimacy and should step down.

"We very much welcome the strong stance that Turkey has taken and believe it sends a critical message to President Assad that he cannot crack down and oppress the aspirations of his people," White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling with President Barack Obama. (Reuters)