Turkey announces new sanctions against the Syrian regime

"Visit our guests probably Syrians in their camp this weekend and then we will do our assessment of sanctions and will post step by step," Erdogan said in Pretoria during a press conference with South African Vice President Kgalema Motlanthe, as the agency Anatolia news.

Coinciding with this announcement, the Turkish EstadoMayor reported that, from today until October 13, will conduct military exercises in the province of Hatay on the border with Syria and home to the bulk of Syrian refugees. Although modest, only mobilizes a brigade of mechanized infantry and 800 reservists, this exercise in diplomatic circles is interpreted as a warning to the regime of President Bashar Assad.

The veto of Russia and China prevented the highest organ of the UN adopted a resolution calling for action against a regime whose repression has led since May, according to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, some 2,700 dead. Lebanon, Brazil, India and South Africa abstained from the vote.
Proponents of the resolution (the U.S. and European countries) today expressed disappointment at the outcome of the vote, but Bouthaina Chaabane, counselor of President Assad, welcomed, however, the veto "historic" Russian-Chinese. On several Syrian cities occurred yesterday in which demonstrators brandished placards young people , in Arabic and English, which read: "Russia does not destroy our future."

"I get in trouble," Erdogan began answering a question about what happened in the Security Council because it would highlight his differences with Motlanthe.Acabó, however, saying South Africa would have wanted "is next to the town Syrian and make an emphatic warning to the Syrian government. "" That would have been right because thousands of innocents are being killed in cold blood. "

"This veto will prevent us not to go ahead and impose sanctions," he added. "We will implement a package of sanctions." "My heart continues to stand alongside those who struggle for freedom," he said.

Only three years ago, Erdogan and his family summer with Asad thus reflecting the warmth of the relationship. This began to deteriorate when Damascus Ankara ignored the appeals to stop the repression. Turkey has imposed an arms embargo and its neighbor, but until now was reluctant to economic sanctions for fear of damaging the interests of its businessmen. Despite the crisis in Syria, Turkey managed to export in the first half of this year, goods for 753 million euros.

The latest Turkish envoy was received by Asad was on 9 August, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, who urged him to restrict the use of force against protesters and reform. Davutoglu was collected for six hours with the Syrian president that threatened to provoke a regional conflagration if NATO intervened in Syria as it did in Libya.

Syrian President Threats

Nearly two months after the semi-official Iranian press agenciade FARS has revealed some of the content of this conversation that Tehran was reported. "Taking action against Damascus crazy, no less than six hours I need to transfer hundreds of missiles at the Golan Heights and fired on Tel Aviv", he announced his guest Asad omitting that, probably, a rapid Israeli response would prevent . Also made ​​it clear he would ask Hezbollah to attack Israel from Lebanon.

"All these events will occur in the first three hours, but within three hours following the attack Iranian warships in the U.S. in the Persian Gulf," he added. "The interests of the United States and the Europeans are also on target," he said.