Following Hama massacre, Turkey toughens stance on Syria

Soon after the Syrian army's assault on Hama, which took dozens of lives on Sunday, Turkey hardened its position against the Syrian administration. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu condemned the tank- and sniper-led attack on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as "unjustifiable." "It is impossible to approve of the timing and methods of this operation," Davutoglu was quoted as saying yesterday before leaving for a trip to Norway. "It is unacceptable for Ramadan to begin with casualties while we were (instead) expecting the Syrian regime to swiftly implement reforms." The deployment of tanks to Hama all but guaranteed casualties, he said. Earlier, on Sunday, Davutoglu called on the Syrian government to "immediately cease the assaults, which have claimed many civilian lives in Syria, particularly in Hama," adding that Turkey is closely following developments in the region and hoping for a quick resolution to bring peace and harmony to the nation. "We are going through a critical time in Syria and Libya," Davutoglu said, referring to how Ramadan might lead to clashes between crowds gathered for prayers and security forces.