Turkey urges Syria to make good on reform promises

Reuters

Turkey called on Syria on Friday to make good on promises of economic and social reform as soon as possible in the face of growing unrest.

In a statement, Turkey's Foreign Ministry regretted casualties in the violence spreading through its southeast neighbor and called for calm on the part of families that had suffered casualties.

"We welcome the statements of Syrian officials on starting work for reform on social and economic issues to meet the Syrian people's legitimate demands and expectations," the statement said.

"It is of great importance that the necessary work is completed soon and the decisions are implemented without losing time."

Syria Strongman: Time for 'Reform'

Jay SOLOMON & Bill SPINDLE   The Wall Street Journal

DAMASCUS—Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who inherited a regime that has held power for four decades, said he will push for more political reforms in his country, in a sign of how Egypt's violent revolt is forcing leaders across the region to rethink their approaches.

In a rare interview, Mr. Assad told The Wall Street Journal that the protests in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen are ushering in a "new era" in the Middle East, and that Arab rulers would need to do more to accommodate their people's rising political and economic aspirations.

"If you didn't see the need of reform before what happened in Egypt and Tunisia, it's too late to do any reform," Mr. Assad said in Damascus, as Egyptian protesters swarmed the streets of Cairo pressing for the resignation of longtime President Hosni Mubarak.

The Syrian strongman, who succeeded his father, has always kept a tight leash on his country and tolerated little protest. His regime has also maintained a close partnership with Iran and militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories.