politics

Turkish PM, in Tokyo, says Assad must go if Syria is to have peace

12 Comments

A U.N.-hosted peace conference on Syria must work to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power because of his culpability for tens of thousands of deaths, Turkey's Prime Minster said in Tokyo on Tuesday.

"In Geneva 2, we must make sure that... all the measures will not fail...so that we can (bring) in an era without Bashar al-Assad," he said, referring to peace talks planned later this month in Switzerland.

The Syrian conflict is estimated to have claimed more than 130,000 lives, and has forced millions more to flee their homes.

"A person who has allowed that to happen still remaining at the top of the country cannot be accepted," Erdogan said.

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon has started sending out invitations to the so-called Geneva 2 peace talks, but Assad's key ally Iran was not on the first list, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

That could help pave the way for the opposition National Coalition, which has repeatedly stipulated that Iran must not be invited, to participate.

The 30 countries invited to the Geneva talks include Saudi Arabia, a major backer of the Syrian opposition, as well as the five U.N. Security Council permanent members -- and Syria's neighbours Turkey, Iraq and Jordan.

Japan's foreign minister Fumio Kishida is also expected to attend.

"In the Geneva 1 there were several issues that were taken up and in the Geneva 2 we will make sure that these will not fail.... It is very important that Japan takes part in this," Erdogan said.

The Coalition, which re-elected Ahmad Jarba as its leader on Sunday, will discuss Tuesday whether to attend the talks, although a key group -- the Syrian National Council -- has already announced a boycott.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on Jan 13 in a bid to decide Iran's role in ending the nearly three-year-old war, said Haq.

Erdogan is on a three-day visit to Japan, with more than 100 business officials, aimed at boosting economic ties with Tokyo. He will also visit Malaysia and Singapore.

He was speaking at lecture hosted by the Nikkei newspaper and the Turkish embassy in Japan, and did not address the current political machinations at home, where a corruption and bribery investigation has shaken his pro-business government.

© (c) 2014 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

12 Comments
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"where a corruption and bribery investigation has shaken his pro-business government."

Only reason Turks have elected this man and his party was because they advertised themselves as honest, god fearing, religious team of people. Recent news proved otherwise. Him and his party members are corrupt as they can get. As soon as this news was released, he fired the police chiefs that uncovered this corruption, replaced the judges in upcoming trial. Who does that? Only ones who has lots of secrets that don't want to be revealed.

His comments about Assad is also religiously based. Assad is much better leader than he is and he knows it. I'm ashamed that my country is being represented by this idiot.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Ole Erdogan is just frustrated that Syria has been such a tough nut to crack with Assad's cunning government at the helm.

Regardless of how many Al Qaeda fighters Erdogan allows to pass through his country on the way to Syria the Syrian army won't back down.

Whose hands are the blood really on Mr. Erdogan? Especially since the largest portion of deaths in Syria has been soldiers and fighters who are defending the government.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A cargo truck full of rocket heads, bazookas, missiles, bombs and guns has been seized by the police officers in the southern province of Adana, which is not far from the Syrian border and it was on it's way to Syria ,to Al qaeda militants figthing in Syria. All the police officers and some more officials associated with the event, were sacked afterwards and one of the pm's counselors said that "citizens should mind their own business, it is something considering only the government" and they also claimed that they are doing this for the country's welfare. These weapons are used not only in killing opposite militants or soldiers but also in killing of the civillians so it is really barbaric to stay quite for our "prosperity" while innocent people are dying somewhere else.

I can assure you his supporters are nothing but mostly 40+ aged ,uneducated strict islamists and their children ,who are forced to attend theology schools. They are easy to fool with simple things like free food,coal etc. and you may have heard of the statistics that turkey jails more journalist ,more than any country so the TV channels and newspapers are their best tools to make people believe what they want them to believe. They are now currently trying to prevent the formations of civil news pages on facebook, twitter etc. "Nothing is more terrible than ignorance in actions."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He should shut up and deal with his own corrupt regime.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For someone under siege by his own people this character really has much to say. In any case what has Syria got to do with Japan? Both desperate prime ministers trying to scratch each others' backs?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Basically Erdogan is in Japan to buy arms.

Turkey will be working with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop a motor that will be suitable for its Altay tank, which it developed with South Korea. Turkey is also seeking deals with Fuji Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to develop a helicopter motor, a drone, infra-red sensors, and a fuel battery system for vessels and submarines.

What is Erdogan planning to do with all these new weapons? Well, let's go back to December 2013:

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated this week that the Turkish territory included the Greek part of Thrace, parts of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which led to a lot of reactions in Balkan countries and Bulgaria made no exception.

It might be something, but then again it might be nothing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

One of the main reasons for the huge democratic protests in Turkey last year was the people's disgust with Erdogan's open support of the fundamentalist Al Qaeda rebels in Syria.

Ordinary and well meaning Turkish police and customs officers who try to stop the illegal weapons shipment to Al Qaeda are fired on trumped up "corruption" charges because they interfered with Erdogan's pet project of taking down the secular Syrian government.

Take a look at Al Qaeda territory in Syria, it's all along the Turkish border, and they operate the Syrian side of the border crossings. How come Erdogan doesn't shut down the Turkish side of the border. It's a no-brainer.

How can we claim to be a respectable leader while he supplies weapons to Al Qaeda.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Its should be Erdogan should go if Turkey and Syria is to have peace and while Erdogan is going he will do this planet a whole lot good if he can take the Saudi King's along with him...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I hate Erdogan with all my guts.In 10 years he made Turkey the capital of corruption and a nest for fanatic islamists. When media or police uncovers one of his many dirts he starts babbling about how people are envying their progress in business and economy and this is the doing of other countries which are jealous of our progess.And turkish citizens are failing to see the truth behind this.If there is one prime minister who needs to go it is not assad but himself. P.S I'm Turkish and i live in Turkey..

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Is Japan interested inTurkish wish? Sounded like Japan is only interested in sales of hardware.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Dogs bark, but the caravan goes on..!!!** KEEP WALKING..!!! We love you PM Erdogan . ( But Please ask Assad to go with ''The early elections in a democracy''. I think this is worthy of you. I wish you success in cooperation with Japans.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Japan allows a corrupt regime to sound off from its capital...?

Shades of worse to come.......

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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