Erdogan speaks with Syria'a assad about domestic unrest

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday to express support but also warn him of the negative image of security officers using force against the Syrian people. Assad reportedly reassured Erdogan that he would enact reforms, but also complained of people seeking to stir up trouble rather than genuinely push for change. The telephone call, a gesture to anti-government protesters in Syria, came after a Foreign Ministry statement on Friday urging Damascus to enact reforms as soon as possible in the face of growing unrest. After protests began earlier this month largely confined to Damascus, last week they spread to other cities.