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Turkey accuses Syrian regime of crimes against humanity

08 June 2012 04:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkey has condemned mass killings in a village in Hama and said this massacre once more displayed that Syrian regime is committing crimes against humanity, APA reports citing Today’s Zaman.

Activists said government forces killed nearly 80 people, including women and children who were shot, hacked to death and burned in their homes.

The reports of mass killings came just weeks after more than 100 people were killed in one day in a cluster of villages known as Houla in central Homs province, many of them children and women gunned down in their homes. UN investigators blamed pro-government gunmen for at least some of the killings, but the Syrian regime denied responsibility and blamed rebels for the deaths.

A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday said Turkey strongly condemns the mass killings in Hama in the anniversary of 30th anniversary of 1982 Hama massacre and extended condolences.

Syria denied that its forces committed a massacre as "absolutely baseless" and blamed the violence on terrorists who are trying to provoke foreign military intervention to topple Assad.

The exact death toll and circumstances of the killings overnight in Mazraat al-Qubair were impossible to confirm. The violence is bound to reinforce the growing belief that a peace plan brokered by Kofi Annan is unraveling as the country spirals toward civil war.

The statement said the Assad regime indiscriminately targets children, women and elderly and once more showed that it is committing crimes against humanity. Turkey said to stop this troubled situation is the shared responsibility of the international community.

The statement added that Turkey will continue its efforts in solidarity with Syrian people and the international community to prevent the "despotism of Syrian regime" to kill more Syrian civilians.

Turkey said the level of violence increases the necessity to immediately start a political transition to democracy based on legitimate demands of people.