Britain's deputy Prime Minister writes article on Turkey

In an article for the Sabah daily, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that in his contacts in Ankara and Istanbul, he would emphasize Britain's "commitment to delivering a first-class visa service for Turkish travelers," as every year millions of Turkish people visit the UK as tourists, students or businesspeople. Clegg added that he would also speak with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the Syrian civil war and President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy fighters. "Sadly, the United Nations Security Council has been unable to unite on the need to take action to secure Assad's removal and protect ordinary Syrians facing his brutality. We share Turkey's intense frustration at this failure. We are very keen to work with the Turkish government in handling the consequences, not least the exodus of refugees. Turkey has responded to this challenge in a typically impressive manner. The speed with which the Government established camps to deal with the tens of thousands pouring across the border has drawn praise from around the world," Clegg noted.