What goes around comes around, Erdogan tells Assad
“I would like to appeal to Mr. Assad once again in his own language. Ya Bashar! Man dakka dukka. Bashar! What goes around comes around,” Erdogan said on Tuesday during his Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting.
“The path you are following is not good. This path has a dead end. I would like to recommend once again that he get off this path before shedding more blood,” he said.
His remarks come in response to a recent heavy bombardment of the Syrian city of Homs, which led to the death of hundreds of civilians, in an offensive to put down a popular revolt against President Assad's rule.
Stating that though his government lent much support to the Syrian administration “to heal the wounds of the past” and carry out reform, Erdoğan said they were disappointed to see Assad failing to keep his promises. “We believed with good intentions that he would implement reforms. However, Assad walked back and forth and began following the path of his father. He broke all of his promises. He massacred hundreds of innocent people on the anniversary of the massacre his father [Hafez Assad] committed in Hama 30 years ago,” Erdogan said.
“Those responsible for Hama were not called to account but those responsible for Homs will be sooner or later called to account. … Those who follow the path of their fathers will certainly get what they deserve,” he added.
The prime minister also criticized Russia and China for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending the bloodshed in Syria. “Giving an oppressor license to kill is unacceptable,” he said.
The UN Security Council failed on Saturday to take decisive action to stop the escalating violence in Syria as Russia and China blocked a resolution backing an Arab League plan that calls for President Assad to step down. The double-veto outraged the West and Turkey, who feared it would embolden the Assad regime.
Erdogan added that Turkey will initiate a new initiative with countries opposed to the Syrian government following the UN's failure to stop the Syrian crisis without elaborating.
