Erdogan to share talks with Obama on Syria chemical weapon issue

The Syrian government has used chemical weapons against rebels, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, adding that he would discuss the issue with U.S. President Barack Obama during his upcoming visit to Washington. “We will discuss the use of chemical weapons during the meeting with President Obama,” Erdogan told Japanese daily Nikkei.

Erdogan also discussed the latest developments in Syria with British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande over the phone late May 2, the office of the prime minister has said.

Meanwhile, a Turkish police officer was killed and 11 others were injured in a clash between Syrians who wanted to cross the border and security forces in the southeastern district of Akcakale.

“Some 1,000 Syrians wanted to cross the Akcakale border gate without passports, but security forces would not allow them to do so. When they were sent back, they started to throw stones and started a fire in our offices at the buffer zone, but we managed to extinguish it,” Akcakale Mayor Abdulhakim Ayhan said, adding that the group had been dispersed after the incident.

“We pulled out, thinking the incident was over but then they started to fire bullets. Now it is calm but there is unease in the district.”

The group believed to be smugglers clashed with the Turkish police at the buffer-zone, and the bullets fired by the Syrians ricocheted into the Turkish side, a Turkish official said on condition of anonymity.

The assailants used long-barreled rifles, according to officials. Three policemen, five soldiers and four civilians were wounded, and security was beefed up after the incident. One police officer, who was critically wounded, died later.

Erdo?an will meet with Obama in Washington on May 16. Obama said April 30 there was evidence that chemical weapons had been used during Syria’s two-year conflict, but that it was not yet known how the chemical weapons were used, when they were used and who used them.


/HurriyetDailynews.Com/