PM Erdogan: Bashar Al-Assad's days are numbered

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday that his days as leader were numbered and he could not remain in power indefinitely through military force. Erdogan said his one-time ally's defiant refusal to end a bloody crackdown on protesters had increased the prospects of foreign intervention. "You can remain in power with tanks and cannons only up to a certain point. The day will come when you'll also leave," Erdogan told a meeting in Istanbul. "If you trust yourself, go to the polls and let your people decide. If the polls lead you to power, then you may rule. But otherwise your office is only temporary," he said. Erdogan also denounced the use of military force "against those in Syria who demand a decent life." Turkey has become increasingly vocal in its criticism of Assad's bloody crackdown on protests against his regime. "The day will come for you to leave. Because those chairs are not permanent, we have mentioned this many times before. But Syrian President Bashar did not understand this," said Erdogan.