Turkish FM urged Syria: "We cannot just watch when universal rights are spurned"

(AFP)
Turkey's foreign minister warned embattled leaders in Syria and other Middle East countries on Monday that those who cannot meet the demands of their people "will go".
Ahmet Davutoglu spoke a day after Ankara expressed outrage over weekend attacks on its diplomatic missions in Syria by pro-regime protesters and summoned the country's envoy.
"Those in the Middle East who are not at peace with their people and cannot satisfy them will go," Davutoglu told a parliament committee, adding that Turkey would "take a very firm stand" in the wake of the attacks.
Thousands of protesters carrying knives and batons attacked Turkey's diplomatic missions on Saturday night, furious over Ankara's support for an Arab League decision to suspend Syria, state-run news agency Anatolia reported.
In Aleppo, protesters managed to break into the consulate building, while in Damascus they pelted the embassy building with stones, plastic bottles and tear gas shellings, which the police used to disperse the crowd.
No one was injured in the attacks but Turkey decided to evacuate the families of diplomats and non-essential personnel from Syria.
A Turkish Airlines plane brought a group of 60 people to Ankara but ambassador Omer Onhon and diplomatic staff will stay on in Syria.
"The attitude of the Syrian government... demonstrates the need for the international community to respond with a united voice to the serious developments in Syria," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
A government source told AFP that this meant "We are no longer with (Syria) and we are joining international efforts aiming to isolate" it. Also on Sunday, Davutoglu -- for the second time in less than a month -- met members of Syria's opposition National Council, the country's largest and most representative opposition grouping, who sought permission to set up office in Turkey.
A Turkish diplomat who declined to be named said Ankara was considering the request.
Turkey has welcomed an Arab League decision to suspend Syria until it agrees to apply an Arab peace plan for an end to the crisis.
Under the deal, Syria would pull back its troops from the cities that were the focus of anti-government protests and free demonstrators arrested since the start of the uprising.
A November 2 meeting had given Syria 15 days to comply with the plan.
At a meeting of the League's foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday, 18 of the 22 members voted to suspend Syria from November 16 over its failure to end the crackdown.
"The Syrian government should draw conclusions from the Arab League message and stop resorting to violence against its people," the Turkish foreign ministry has said.
Arab foreign ministers and Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi are to meet again on the Syria crisis Wednesday in Morocco. Arabi will also meet with Syrian opposition groups in Cairo on Monday.
Davutoglu will be in Rabat but will not attend the Arab League meeting as Ankara is not a member. He also said Monday he regretted that mediation bids since the start of the unrest in Syria early this year had failed. "We have done everything (to avoid) that no blood is shed... So that our friendship with this country with which we share a 910-kilometre-long border is strengthened," he added.
He also said Turkey was backing people's demands in the Middle East for their rights.
"We support the demands of people who rise up for their rights," he said. "Turkey cannot just watch when universal rights are spurned."
Ankara, once a close economic and political ally of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, has for months expressed frustration at his failure to listen to his people.
Almost daily pro-democracy rallies in Syria have been met with violent repression, at a cost of 3,500 lives, mostly civilians, according to the United Nations.
Making the case for "Islam and democracy" during a visit to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya in September, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, vaunted his own country as a political model.
"Turkey is 99 percent Muslim yet it is a democratic secular state where all religions are equal," Erdogan said. "A Muslim, a Christian and a Jew are equal in a secular state."