TURKEY: U.S., Turkey to step up plans for post-Assad Syria

Record ID: 344231

  • Title: TURKEY: U.S., Turkey to step up plans for post-Assad Syria
  • Date: 11th August 2012
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (AUGUST 11, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HILLARY CLINTON HOLDING TALKS WITH TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU
  • Embargoed: 26th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAV0HG38QL57OI79JJZPQXPXHU
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday (August 11) as both countries plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fall.
    U.S. officials say Clinton's one-day stop in Istanbul will give the United States and its NATO partner Turkey a chance to compare notes on Syria following a string of dramatic swings in Assad's push to crush an armed rebellion.
    Washington sees Turkey, one of Damascus' harshest critics, as the key player both in supporting Syria's opposition and in planning for what U.S. officials say is the inevitable collapse of the Assad government following some 17 months of bloodshed.
    U.S. officials are particularly interested in Turkey's analysis of the political forces emerging as Syria spirals into chaos - hoping that together they can puzzle out the complex patchwork of rebel groups jockeying for position.
    Clinton was also scheduled to meet a range of Syrian opposition figures in Turkey, but not members of armed fighting groups.
    The U.S. on Friday imposed new sanctions on Syria's state-run oil company, saying it had supplied gasoline to Iran.
    The sanctions will add to Washington's arsenal of economic measures targeting both Syrian organizations and foreign entities, mostly in Iran, accused of helping Assad's government.
    While imposing economic pain on Damascus, the sanctions have not halted Assad's bloody crackdown on his opponents.
    Rebels fighting Assad's forces in Aleppo said they were preparing a new attack after having been pushed back by government units seeking to re-establish control over Syria's largest city and its economic hub.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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