Middle Orient

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesperson Bulent Arinc has said that Syria should be punished. Bulent Arinc announced that the Syria issue would be discussed in details at today’s meeting of the Turkish government.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the U.S. statement on a “limited” military action against Syria will not be enough to satisfy Ankara, pleading for an intervention similar to the one in Kosovo in 1999.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday intelligence gathered by Ankara left no doubt that the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were responsible for a poison gas attack near Damascus last week.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the United States is still seeking an international coalition for possible military action against the Syrian regime, despite the British Parliament’s vote against participating. Hagel outlined the U.S. position at a news conference in Manila on August 30.

French President Francois Hollande said a military strike on Syria could come by Wednesday and that Britain’s surprise rejection of armed intervention would not affect his government’s stand.

German FM Guido Westerwelle has been quoted as saying that his country was “neither asked to, nor is considering” taking part in a possible attack on Syria. “We are in favor of the UN Security Council finding

Britain will not join any military action against Syria after a stunning parliamentary defeat on Thursday of a government motion on the issue, dealing a setback to US-led efforts to punish Damascus over the use of chemical weapons against civilians.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to use the UN Security Council to get a quick international reaction to Syria’s conflict. This is according to a statement made by her spokesman

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held a phone conversation with his British counterpart William Hague on Wednesday night.

Russia is sending two warships to the east Mediterranean, but Moscow denied this meant it was beefing up its naval force there as Western powers prepare for military action against Syria. Any strengthening of the navy’s presence could fuel tension, especially as the United States has said it is