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Syria unrest: Turkey says UN 'supports' repression Syria unrest: Turkey says UN 'supports' repression
(about 3 hours later)
Turkey PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United Nations Security Council of indirectly supporting the oppression of the Syrian people by failing to unite on Syria. Turkey PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of indirectly supporting the oppression of the Syrian people by failing to unite on Syria.
Mr Erdogan said the Security Council was standing by with its "hands and arms tied" while the Syrian people were dying every day. Mr Erdogan said the UNSC was standing by with its "hands and arms tied" while the Syrian people were dying every day.
Russia says Syria has promised to pull its forces from cities by 10 April.Russia says Syria has promised to pull its forces from cities by 10 April.
In Damascus, the head of Red Cross has been meeting top Syrian officials. America's UN ambassador says the UNSC is drafting a statement to support special envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.
Jakob Kellenberger has been trying to get Syria to allow aid workers better access to those who have been wounded or displaced by the conflict. The statement will be discussed by the 15-nation council over the next two days, Susan Rice said, according to Reuters news agency.
Mr Kellenberger will also press the Syrian authorities to implement a daily two-hour ceasefire, as stipulated in the peace plan proposed by the UN and Arab League envoy, Kofi Annan. Mr Annan, the UN and Arab League envoy, told council members on Monday that the Syrian government had agreed to halt its military operations over a period beginning on Sunday and ending by 10 April.
The president of the UN General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, says he has asked Mr Annan to brief the world body on his Syria peace mission, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett at the UN. But Ms Rice said the actions of the regime since 1 April had not been encouraging.
No date has been set, but Mr Nasser said he had suggested 13 April, after the 10 April deadline for the military pullback and a mutual ceasefire has passed, our correspondent adds. She said if the authorities used this window of opportunity to intensify rather than decrease violence, the Security Council would need to respond in an "urgent and serious way".
She acknowledged the council was divided over taking action to pressure Damascus.
But she suggested that if the Syrian government continued its military offensive despite its commitment to Mr Annan's peace plan, the diplomatic calculations of Syria's allies might change, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett at the UN.
Peacekeepers' visitPeacekeepers' visit
Meanwhile, the president of the UN General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, says he has asked Mr Annan to brief the world body on his Syria peace mission.
No date has been set, but Mr Nasser said he had suggested 13 April, our correspondent reports.
In Damascus, the head of Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, has been meeting top Syrian officials to try to get Syria to allow aid workers better access to those who have been wounded or displaced by the conflict.
Mr Kellenberger is also pressing the Syrian authorities to implement a daily two-hour ceasefire, as stipulated in the peace plan proposed by Mr Annan.
Russia's foreign ministry says Syria's government has informed Moscow it has started implementing Mr Annan's plan to end the unrest.Russia's foreign ministry says Syria's government has informed Moscow it has started implementing Mr Annan's plan to end the unrest.
The ministry said in a statement that the Syrian ambassador to Moscow told Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov that Damascus had begun fulfilling its obligations under the plan, the Associated Press news agency reports.The ministry said in a statement that the Syrian ambassador to Moscow told Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov that Damascus had begun fulfilling its obligations under the plan, the Associated Press news agency reports.
The statement did not give any further details.The statement did not give any further details.
Mr Annan's spokesman, Ahmed Fawzi, said on Tuesday that an advance team from the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) would arrive in Damascus "in the next 48 hours" to discuss the deployment of international monitors.
The team would be made up of five to six people, he added.
The announcement comes the day after Mr Annan urged the UN Security Council to set a deadline of 10 April for a ceasefire plan to come into force.
Syria says it has agreed to the deadline.
But activists say government forces have continued to attack opposition strongholds.
City withdrawalCity withdrawal
Mr Erdogan said by not taking a decision on Syria, the UN Security Council had "indirectly supported the oppression. To stand by with your hands and arms tied while the Syrian people are dying every day is to support the oppression".Mr Erdogan said by not taking a decision on Syria, the UN Security Council had "indirectly supported the oppression. To stand by with your hands and arms tied while the Syrian people are dying every day is to support the oppression".
He told members of parliament from his governing AK Party that Turkey would not turn its back on the Syrian people.He told members of parliament from his governing AK Party that Turkey would not turn its back on the Syrian people.
China and Russia have twice vetoed resolutions condemning President Bashar al-Assad's regime for turning the army on civilians.China and Russia have twice vetoed resolutions condemning President Bashar al-Assad's regime for turning the army on civilians.
On Monday, Mr Annan told the UN Security Council that President Assad had agreed to withdraw security forces from major population centres by 10 April, diplomats said. On Monday, Mr Annan told the UN Security Council that President Assad had agreed to withdraw security forces from major population centres by 10 April.
Mr Annan also asked the Security Council to plan for the deployment of UN observers to supervise the ceasefire by all parties, as set out in his peace plan. He also asked the council to plan for the deployment of UN observers to supervise the ceasefire by all parties, as set out in his peace plan.
UN officials and diplomats said the monitors would probably be drawn from other peacekeeping forces in the region and could not be established without an end to the fighting, agreement by all parties and a Security Council mandate.UN officials and diplomats said the monitors would probably be drawn from other peacekeeping forces in the region and could not be established without an end to the fighting, agreement by all parties and a Security Council mandate.
An advance team from the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is expected to arrive in Damascus imminently to discuss the deployment of international monitors.
The ceasefire is only one part of Mr Annan's peace plan, which also calls for a political process to address the "aspirations" of the Syrian people, release of detainees, delivery of humanitarian aid, free movement for journalists, and right to protest.The ceasefire is only one part of Mr Annan's peace plan, which also calls for a political process to address the "aspirations" of the Syrian people, release of detainees, delivery of humanitarian aid, free movement for journalists, and right to protest.
Activists say government forces have continued to attack opposition strongholds despite Damascus's pledge to observe the peace plan.