Economy ministry sets up "Syria Follow-up Desk"

ANKARA (A.A) - November 15, 2011 - A "Syria Follow-up Desk" was set up under Turkish Economy Ministry. The ministry stated on Tuesday that the desk was established to see the problems and to answer the questions of Turkish businessmen, exporters and transportation companies working in Syria after the recent social and political developments in that country. Meanwhile, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan will hold a meeting with representatives and executives of Turkish companies and institutions working in Syria as well as non-governmental organizations in Istanbul on November 17. The problems of companies and solutions to these problems will be discussed in the meeting. Hundreds of Syrian government supporters attacked the Turkish Embassy in Damascus on Saturday after the Arab League voted to suspend Syria from its meetings and impose sanctions against the Syrian regime over its failure to end crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Pro-government demonstrators gathered outside the embassy in the evening as their numbers quickly reached to a thousand during the one-and-a-half-hour demonstration.  They chanted anti-Turkey slogans, hurled rocks and tried to force their way in through the main gate of the embassy compound. Turkey's Chief Consulate in Aleppo and the country's honorary consulate in Latakia were also attacked in simultaneous demonstrations. Protestors managed to get into garden of the consulate and they tried to hoist down the Turkish flag as they threw rocks and smashed windows of the honorary consulate in Latakia. No embassy or consulate staff were hurt in the violent protests. Families of Turkish diplomats returned to Turkey on Sunday.