Gul strongly condemns Syrian creckdown

Turkey has reacted strongly to Sunday's bloody crackdown by the Syrian regime in the city of Hama, condemning the Syrian army's operations that killed nearly 100 protesters. "As expectations are underway for the restoration of tranquility in line with the spirit of Ramadan and for the fulfillment of sweeping reforms, beginning the holy month of Ramadan with a bloody environment is unacceptable," President Abdullah Gul told the Anatolia news agency yesterday. Gul emphasized that the recent operations in Syria had deepened Turkey's concerns. "I call on the Syrian administration to halt the violence against its people and fulfill reforms that will build the future of the country on the basis of peace and stability," he said. "The use of heavy weapons against people in Hama as Ramadan began shocked me. We cannot be indifferent to such violence."