U.S. secretary says Syrian president lost legitimacy

ANKARA (A.A) - January 10, 2012 - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns has said that it was now very obvious that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad lost his legitimacy. The sooner the democratic political transformation is made, the better it will be for Syrian people and the region, added Burns who spoke to AA on Tuesday. Burns noted that the longer uncertainty continued, the longer violence would continue and the bigger the risk became for the region. He said that Turkey was handling this problem very constructively and positively. Burns said that during his visit to capital Ankara, he held meetings on constitutional reform efforts in Turkey, counter terrorism, developments in the Mideast, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Balkans, Afghanistan and Caucasus issues. Turkey was an important model for Mideast countries with its dynamic economy, strong democracy and deep Islamic roots, Burns said. When asked about the situation in Iraq after withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from that country, Burns said that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq did not mean that the U.S.'s responsibilities towards Iraq had ended. Noting that Iraq was passing through an important and difficult process, Burns said that the stability of Iraq concerned the U.S. as much as it did Turkey. He added that the U.S. would continue to cooperate with Iraqi leaders and Turkey to bring political stability as well as to eliminate the tension among sects in Iraq. Regarding Iran's resuming talks on its nuclear program, Burns said that the U.S. welcomed Turkey's constructive role in this issue.