Turkey urges reforms in Syria, dispatches intelligence chief

Turkey is ramping up communications with Syria amid the ongoing unrest there, with its intelligence chief visiting the neighboring country Sunday and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urging Syrian President Bashar Assad to move toward reforms. Erdogan said yesterday that he had talked to Assad twice in the last three days and conveyed Turkey's "sensitivity" on recent events in Syria. "We advised Mr. Assad that responding to the people's years-old demands positively, with a reformist approach, would help Syria overcome its problems more easily," Erdogan told reporters in a press conference before leaving for a visit to Iraq. He added that National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head Hakan Fidan had visited Syria on Sunday. Erdogan said he advised Assad to "answer the people's calls with a reformist, positive approach." He added, "I didn't get a 'no' response. We share an 800-kilometer border and have family relations. We can't stay silent." Assad didn't dismiss his calls for reform, Erdogan said, adding that he expects Assad himself to publicly announce reform plans "either today or tomorrow." Erdogan added that Syria is working on reforms, including lifting emergency rule and restrictions on political parties.