Turkey Cozies Up to the KRG
May 29, 2012
Turkey’s popular and outspoken prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was treated to a hero’s welcome last week when he met with Syrian refugees for the first time since Turkey opened its doors to the thousands of people fleeing Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown. Erdogan’s pledge to defend the rights of the Syrian people and his call for Assad’s removal, however, fell short of expectations. Although Erdogan’s speech drew some applause, it also was interrupted by shouts of “We want arms for the Free Syrian Army and a buffer zone inside Syria!” The Turkish prime minister’s reiteration of his previous positions seemed to dismay the refugees and some in the international community who hoped he would call for the establishment of a buffer zone or offer other more forceful support.
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