Turkey says voluntary power transfer in Syria is impossible
While UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi pushes for a ceasefire in Damascus, Turkish FM dismisses Yemen-style solution
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BEIRUT — The international envoy to the Syria conflict pressed his call for a ceasefire Saturday with officials in Damascus, while the Turkish foreign minister declared that a voluntary transfer of power in Syria was no longer possible.
Lakhdar Brahimi, who represents the UN and the Arab League, has called for a truce between rebels and government forces during a Muslim holiday that begins next week. He hopes that four days of quiet for Eid al-Adha will pave the way for a longer-term ceasefire.
Brahimi met Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem on Saturday and was expected to meet President Bashar Assad on Sunday.
In Sanaa, Yemen on Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters that a power-transfer deal, like that which allowed longtime Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, was no longer a suitable model for Syria.
“The Yemen solution was suitable for Syria nine months ago,” Davutoglu said, according to Reuters. “But now, because every country has its own special circumstances and due to the latest developments on the Syrian arena which saw the use of artillery and the air force in bombarding Syrian cities, this has narrowed the room for implementing such solutions.”
Anti-regime activists say more than 33,000 people have been killed in 19 months of violence in Syria.
The Times of Israel Community.