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Middle East and North Africa

Turkey demands to punish those guilty of crimes against humanity in Syria

It is necessary to investigate the chemical attack incident, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu admits

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

ANKARA, August 27 (Itar-Tass) - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described the situation in Syria as a test for the international community. He made this statement on Tuesday, commenting on the possibility of military action against Syria.

“The priority for us is the UN Security Council’s common stance on this crime and the settlement of the sanctions issue by it. Crimes against humanity should not go unpunished,” Davutoglu stressed. The minister noted that “there are no countries that would say that there was no chemical attack.” “In order to overcome the differences, it is necessary to investigate the incident,” he concluded.

The foreign minister also pointed out that Turkey already has the reason to participate in the international coalition, the formation of which is not excluded if the UN Security Council fails to take an effective decision on Syria. Davutoglu said that last year, the parliament have the army the mandate to act in accordance with the requirements of national security, to respond to threats from the Syrian side and take any measures to maintain security. “If further action is needed, we will turn to the parliament,” the minister said.

Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt expressed a different view in an interview with the Ritzaus Bureau news agency. Itar-Tass correspondent Nikolai Morozov reported from Copenhagen that Thorning-Schmidtt said that the issue of military intervention in Syria was out of the question at present and Denmark should not act in circumvention of the UN Security Council.

“If the UN inspectors confirm that chemical weapons were used (in Syria), obviously, there will be a dramatic escalation of the conflict,” she said. “We have always insisted on the need to follow the path of the United Nations,” said the government head. “The intervention without a UN mandate is always fraught with serious consequences.”

Thorning-Schmidt emphasised that the support of Denmark or its participation in any military intervention is currently not considered. “Denmark has not been contacted on the issue of such military action, therefore, it is a hypothetical situation,” she said. “If this happens, we will study the issue.”

“Ultimately, I think that all countries share the view that there is only a political solution to the Syrian conflict,” said Thorning-Schmidt. “Whatever the case, for the past 15 years we have understood that there cannot be exclusively military solution.”

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