WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House says President Barack Obama has emphasized to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan his deep concern about the Syrian government’s use of violence against civilians.
The White House says that in a call Obama made to Erdogan Thursday, the pair agreed that the violence in Syria must stop and the demands of the Syrian people for a transition to democracy must be met. Obama and Erdogan agreed to consult closely in the coming days as the situation in Syria develops.
The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Syria Wednesday as a flurry of foreign diplomats rolled through Damascus urging President Bashar Assad to end a campaign of killing. Turkey’s foreign minister was among those that met with Assad.