Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan was speaking at the AK Party's Denzli congress, when he spoke out against Bashar Assad and the massacre he is staging in his own country.
I CONDEMN THE SYRIAN MASSACRE
"Our brothers in Syria are being hit by bloody gangs supported by the state; some are even being massacred with their throats slit. In 1982, Assad's blood thirsty dictator father did the same. In fact, he killed 30,000 of our brothers in Hama. His son is on the same path, he has killed over 15,000 already.
There are some people in Turkey who choose to stand by this tyrant. However, those who stand beside a tyrant are tyrants themselves. 'But you had such great times with them.' It's true, we did, and we used to visit each other as families. However, we would desert anyone the second they step out of line, even our own father.
Those who just watch what is happening today in Syria should be aware that the blood shed will splash onto their own hands, face and conscience.
Is the identity of the killer that important? When Israel murders it's a crime, but when Assad does the same, it isn't? When Saddam stages a massacre in Halabja it's a crime, but when Assad does the same in Hama is isn't? From Denizli, I condemn the massacres transpiring in Syria."
Actors support Erdoğan's meeting with main opposition leader
A group of actors have released an announcement of support for the recent meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, which stated, "We would like for it to be known that we are in full support for any efforts made towards putting an end to the pain suffered in all corners of the country as well towards building our joint future.
Referring to the meeting as "one of the most important recent political developments", the statement went on to read, "We want to share with the public that as members of Turkey's film industry, we are extremely hopefully as a result of the coming together of the party in power and the main opposition in order to begin a process of dialogue to handle with the biggest problem in this nation that has been ongoing for decades."
The following well-known figures in the film industry signed the statement:
Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Altan Erkekli, Arif Keskiner, Atalay Taşdiken, Atilla Candemir, Atilla Engin, Aydın Sayman, Baran Seyhan, Biket İlhan, Bülent Kayabaş, Bülent Kılıç, Bülent Şakrak, Cahit Berkay, Devin Özgür Çınar, Ercan Yılmaz, F. Serkan Acar, Feyzi Tuna, Funda Alp, Haldun Boysan, Halil Ergün, Hasan Özgen, İrfan Tözüm, İsmail Güneş, Janset Pacal, Kadir İnanır, Kenan Ece, Levent İnanır, Mahir İpek, Mazlum Çimen, Mehmet Altıoklar, Mehmet Aslantuğ, Mehmet Güleryüz, Melike Demirağ, Memet Ali Alabora, Mesut Uçakan, Metin Devrim, Mustafa Ziya Ülkenciler, Müjde Ar, Neslihan Acar, Nur Sürer, Onur Ünlü, Orhan Oğuz, Özcan Alper, Raşit Çelikezer, Reis Çelik, Rezan Yeşilbaş, Rıza Sönmez, Rutkay Aziz, Selda Alkor, Selim Atakan, Sevil Demirci, Seyhan Kaya, Şerif Gören, Tarık Akan, Ulaş Cihan Şimşek, Yamaç Okur, Yavuz Bingöl, Yusuf Sezgin, Yüksel Aksu, Zafer Ayden, Zeki Demirkubuz, Zeynep Özbatur Atakan.
