Turkish deputy premier: Syria has not kept its promises

ANKARA (AA) - April 16, 2012 - Turkish Deputy Prime Minister & government spokesman Bulent Arinc said that Syrian administration had not kept the promises it made. Speaking after the council of ministers meeting on Monday, Arinc said that Syrian administration had promised to Turkey and several international organizations to stop violence and bloodshed immediately, respond people's demands through democratic ways and stop opening fire on cities and villages, however, Bashar al-Assad did not keep those promises. Ongoing incidents are proving that the promises were not kept, he added. The number of Syrians staying in Turkey after fleeing violence in their country stood to 24,056 as of Monday. United Nations (UN)-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan visited Syrian camp in Turkey's southern province of Hatay on April 10. During the visit, Annan held a press conference in which he gave Syria extra time till 6 a.m. on April 12 in order to abide by his peace plan. Annan's six-point peace plan includes demands for a ceasefire, the immediate withdrawal of heavy armour from residential areas and access for humanitarian aid. The ceasefire is the key part of special envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan, which was presented to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on March 10 and accepted by him on March 27. Here is a text of the proposal which calls on the Syrian authorities to: (1) Commit to work with the Envoy in an inclusive Syrian-led political process to address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people, and, to this end, commit to appoint an empowered interlocutor when invited to do so by the Envoy. (2) Commit to stop the fighting and achieve urgently an effective United Nations-supervised cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties to protect civilians and stabilize the country. To this end, the Syrian government should immediately cease troop movements towards, and end the use of heavy weapons in, population centers, and begin pullback of military concentrations in and around population centers. As these actions are being taken on the ground, the Syrian government should work with the Envoy to bring about a sustained cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties with an effective United Nations supervision mechanism. Similar commitments would be sought by the Envoy from the opposition and all relevant elements to stop the fighting and work with him to bring about a sustained cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties with an effective United Nations supervision mechanism; (3) Ensure timely provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the fighting, and to this end, as immediate steps, to accept and implement a daily two-hour humanitarian pause and to coordinate exact time and modalities of the daily pause through an efficient mechanism, including at local level; (4) Intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons, including especially vulnerable categories of persons, and persons involved in peaceful political activities, provide without delay through appropriate channels a list of all places in which such persons are being detained, immediately begin organizing access to such locations and through appropriate channels respond promptly to all written requests for information, access or release regarding such persons; (5) Ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists and a non-discriminatory visa policy for them; (6) Respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully as legally guaranteed.