Turkish pilgrims killed in attack near Syrian city

Buses carrying Turkish pilgrims came under attack near the Syrian city of Homs as at least four more people were killed yesterday in a regime crackdown in the same flashpoint region, reports said.

The latest violence came as Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad his days were numbered and that he could not stay in power indefinitely through the use of military power.

And in a signal of support for groups seeking to oust Mr Assad, Foreign Secretary William Hague met representatives of Syria’s opposition for the first time, although he said it was too early for Britain to formally recognise them.

Russia for its part accused the West of provocative behaviour in the Syrian crisis, saying Western countries were telling the opposition to forget dialogue with the embattled president. Two people were injured when “Syrian soldiers” attacked the Turks travelling by bus back from the Muslim hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia after taking a wrong turn near Homs, said the private CNN-Turk television station. “We confirm that an attack took place in Syria,” a Turkish foreign ministry official said, without elaborating. The opposition umbrella Local Coordination Committees said two buses had come under fire and published a video online showing several shattered windows on one bus.

“Military and security forces open(ed) fire on two buses of a Turkish company heading towards Turkey via the Bab Hawa border crossing, injuring some of the Turkish travellers,” said the LCC.

One pilgrim and the bus driver were injured, Turkish media reported.

“We were a convoy of eight to nine buses. First we saw a red car carrying four people. They fired at us from there,” injured pilgrim Cemil Karli, 50, told Anatolia news agency. “We don’t know who attacked and why... We could have died,” he said, adding the buses managed to continue through to the Turkish border.

Stepping up the pressure on one-time ally Assad, Erdogan said: “You can remain in power with tanks and cannons only up to a certain point. The day will come when you’ll also leave.”

“Someone shows up and says ‘I’ll fight and die.’ Against whom will you fight? Will you fight against your Muslim brothers you rule in your country?” asked Mr Erdogan.