Wednesday 16 November 2011

Turkey may unplug Syrian electricity as PM denounces Assad

The Turkish Prime Minister has publicly denounced the actions of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as members of his government have suggested Syria may face sanctions including having their electricity cut off.

Tayyip Erdogan told a party meeting: "A future cannot be built on the blood of oppressed people. Otherwise, history will remember such leaders as those feeding on blood. Assad, you are on your way to open that page. Those who are cursed for cruelty and oppression will pay the price sooner or later.

"The Syrian administration is on a thin and dangerous line. Nobody now expects the (Syrian) people's demands to be met. We all want the Syrian administration, which is now on a knife-edge, to turn back from the edge of the cliff."

Earlier this week Jordan's King Abdullah II urged Assad to step down over this year's uprisings, which the UN says has killed 3,500 since March. According to a report from Reuters today, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told reporters Turkey was considering tougher economic sanctions: "Right now we are supplying electricity there (Syria). If this course continues, we may have to review all of these decisions."