A Syrian envoy was due in Turkey on Wednesday for crisis talks with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, days after the Turkish leader described the Syrian government’s repression of protests as “savagery”.
The once-close relationship between the neighbours appears close to breaking point as thousands of Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape a fierce crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad’s security forces.
State-run Anatolian news agency said Assad’s envoy, Hassan Turkmani, was due to arrive in Ankara, where he will face Turkish impatience over Syria’s repressive tactics and anger over a burgeoning humanitarian crisis. Assad on Tuesday called Erdogan to congratulate him on winning a third term in office.
Erdogan, who had a close rapport with Assad, had said before his re-election that, once the election was over, he would be talking to Assad in a “very different manner”, and expressed revulsion over repression being used against the Syrian people.