Echoing the scepticism of many European officials, Mr Davutoglu said he had
told the UN chief that the worsening refugee crisis was evidence that the
Syrian government had little intention of complying with the ceasefire,
which comes into force next Thursday.
“I have told him that the arrivals have doubled in rate after Bashar
al-Assad said he would implement Kofi Annan’s plan,” he said. “Those
who are giving him time should also know that the number of fleeing Syrians
is increasing and this is turning into an international problem.”
Many of the arriving refugees had fled the town of Taftanaz, a rebel
stronghold, where amateur photographs that emerged yesterday showed more
than a dozen corpses shrouded in blankets laid in a long trench as a mass
funeral took place.
The refugees said their town had been virtually destroyed after a three day
government offensive to clear it of rebels.
“They devastated Taftanaz, all houses demolished, everything destroyed,”
one refugee, Hikmet Saban, was told Turkey’s state news agency.
“Helicopters and tanks are bombarding continuously. Taftanaz has been
burned to the ground for three days.”
Others reported that the Syrian army had once again been laying mines along
the border to stem the flow of refugees.
Despite the worsening violence, which suggests that Mr Assad is capturing as
much territory as possible before the ceasefire curtails his ability to act
as openly, tens of thousands of unarmed protesters massed in towns and
cities across the country for the weekly Friday anti-government
demonstrations.
Opposition groups said the protesters had come under live fire in Douma as
well as the cities of Homs and Idlib. Peaceful demonstrations calling for Mr
Assad’s overthrow have continued since the start of the uprising despite
being eclipsed by an armed rebellion that was launched last Autumn.
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