SYRIA: Syrians demonstrate in solidarity with Turkish protesters, after Damascus called on Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to halt what it called his violent repression of protests or step aside

Record ID: 217669

  • Title: SYRIA: Syrians demonstrate in solidarity with Turkish protesters, after Damascus called on Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to halt what it called his violent repression of protests or step aside
  • Date: 18th June 2013
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN PROTESTERS, FATIMA DARDARI, SAYING: "We say to the Turkish people: we are with you, just like you supported us." MAN WRAPPED IN SYRIAN FLAG WITH A PICTURE OF ASSAD ON IT PROTESTERS WITH BANNERS BANNER READING (Arabic): "THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD REGIME WILL END" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHEERING FOR ASSAD AND SHOUTING AGAINST U.S. PRESIDENT BARRACK
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7L1STNQZ5ZZ9JZSM2X8P1ZQI2
  • Story Text: Tens of Syrians held a demonstration in Damascus on Tuesday (June 18) to show solidarity with Turkish protesters in Taksim square and other Turkish cities.

    "We say to the Turkish people: we are with you, just like you supported us," said Fatima Dardari who took part in the protest.
    Participants cheered for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while shouting slogans against Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

    "We want to tell him (Erdogan): it's enough. There is dignity in retreating from a mistake. We don't want more blood to be shed," said Ismail Nerjes, a Turkish man living in Syria.
    Syrian authorities, battling a rebel uprising in which at least 80,000 people have been killed, on Sunday (June 16) advised citizens against travel to neighbouring Turkey on safety grounds.
    Tens of thousands of Turkish protesters have rallied for three days against Ergodan's government, to the barely disguised delight of Syria's government which blames Erdogan for fuelling Syria's civil war.
    Syria's Foreign Ministry said it advised Syrians "against travel to Turkey for the time being for their own safety, because of the deteriorating security situation in several Turkish cities...and the violence of Erdogan's government against peaceful protesters".
    Erdogan, a former ally of Bashar al-Assad, turned against him after the Syrian president sought to crush largely peaceful protests which broke out in March 2011 and have since descended into a brutal civil war.
    Turkey is hosting 370,000 refugees who have fled Syria's bloodshed. It has also been a base for Assad's military and political foes, as well as a transit point for weapon supplies flowing into northern Syria.
    On Saturday (June 15) Syria called on Erdogan to halt what it called his violent repression of protests or step aside - a direct echo of the appeals to Assad in the early days of Syria's uprising.
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