Erdogan, assad pledge joint efforts to meet Egyptian people's demands

Attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a "friendship dam" to be jointly built by Turkey and Syria over the Orontes (Asi) River along their shared border, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday also met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Aleppo. Regional and international developments, especially ongoing political upheaval against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, topped the agenda of the meeting between the two leaders. In a joint statement released afterwards, Erdogan and Assad pledged joint efforts to ensure the fulfillment of the Egyptian people's demands and expectations and to prevent "new sorrows." A Prime Ministry statement said Erdogan and Assad also discussed recent developments in Lebanon, which is seeking a way out of its political stalemate caused by the collapse of Saad al-Hariri government, and pledged to work to help restore security, stability and prosperity there. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Erdogan said that the construction of the main dam is planned to take one year, and that its electricity generating and irrigation sections would be operational the following year.