Davutoglu says Turkey responsible for defending Syrians, Palestinians

The Turkish foreign minister said it was Turkey's responsibility to protect Syrians from chaos and oppression and ensure the liberation of Palestinians through the foundation of a sovereign Palestinian state, announcing that Turkey would coordinate with Jordan to both ends in a visit to Amman on Wednesday. "We will not allow chaos and despotism to take hold in Syria; it is our responsibility to the Syrian people," Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as telling reporters at a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Judeh, on Wednesday. He underlined that Turkey would do whatever it took to realize the legitimate demands of the Syrian people and said the country was determined to coordinate with Jordan, Syria's southern neighbor, to that end. "We hope that the initiative of the Arab League will work; bloodshed needs to stop first and foremost; reforms are otherwise impossible," Davutoglu further noted in remarks that came shortly after at least 20 people died in clashes between Syrian security forces, protesters and defecting soldiers, and while President Bashar al-Assad was meeting with Arab ministers seeking to end months of violence. Davutoglu also met Arab League head Nabil al-Arabi on Tuesday as he was visiting Qatar, prior to proceeding to Jordan on Wednesday. Touching on the issue of Palestine, Davutoglu repeated the well-known stance of Turkey from Amman, saying that a sovereign state of Palestine needed to be established in line with its 1967 borders, prior to the Israeli occupation of most Palestinian territory and that the foundation of the state was a responsibility for the international community. Davutoglu said Turkey placed great importance in Jordan's role in both issues and called that country the principal actor with regard to the future of Palestine, as he praised the role of Jordan in every step along the way to stabilization in the Middle East. Jordan is one of the countries that offered extensive help to Turkey in the aftermath of Sunday's magnitude 7.2 earthquake that shook Turkey's east and rendered thousands homeless and in need of shelter in the approaching winter. "The helping hand of our brothers in Jordan is a historic one that comes right from the heart," Davutoglu said in words to express Turkish gratitude to Jordan, which declared it would send help to the country. Davutoğlu also praised Jordan's "correct assessment" of the developments of the Arab Spring and the country's efforts to introduce reforms due to the efforts of Jordanian King Abdullah II, whom he met during his visit to discuss bilateral relations as well as Arab Spring developments in general. Davutoglu also expressed Turkey's determination to establish a high-level strategic council between Jordan and Turkey and announced that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan intended to visit Jordan soon.