Brussels, 23/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - UK Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking after a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gül, said on Tuesday 22 November that a “full-scale civil war” in Syria was not “a real possibility”. He hailed the “welcome leadership” shown by Turkey and the Arab League. “The world now needs to get behind with concerted pressure on the regime and positive engagement with the opposition, who can represent Syria in an inclusive transition”, he went on to say. In the daily The Guardian, Gül said that external intervention was not desirable and that it was “the people” who must bring about the change.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton met representatives of the Syrian National Council (SNC) on the same day, 22 November. She welcomed the ongoing efforts by the Syrian opposition to “establish a united platform and to work for a shared vision for the future of Syria and the transition to a democratic system”, her spokesperson said. Ashton highlighted the importance of an “inclusive” opposition political platform taking in all religious and ethnic communities. She also stressed the importance of the opposition maintaining a clear commitment to a peaceful and non sectarian approach. She welcomed the efforts of the SNC in this regard and encouraged it to “continue to engage with the Arab League to support its efforts towards a successful transition”. The high representative reiterated her deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria, condemned the repression and restated the EU's strong support to the Syrian people.
ALDE Group leader in the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt would like to see more concrete expression of this support. “The EU must act by bringing more pressure to bear on Syria. (…) The EU is allowing itself to be overtaken by events”, he stated after a meeting with the SNC spokesman. Verhofstadt said the EU should do more to force Assad from office, prepare to act alone alongside the Arab League if there is no joint UN Security Council resolution, consider setting up a no-fly zone on the border with Turkey to protect civilians in that area, and toughen and extend sanctions. (CG/transl.rt)