Assad Accuses 'Two-Faced' Turkish Premier Erdogan of Backing Terrorists

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has warned Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to back off over Syria's domestic affairs.

In the second part of an interview with the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, Assad said: "With his desire from the beginning to interfere in our internal affairs, he has made Turkey a party to all the bloody acts in Syria."

The beleaguered president went on to accuse Turkey of providing logistical support to Syrian "terrorists", the regime's catch-all label for those opposed to it.

"Turkey has given all kinds of logistical support to the terrorists killing our people," Assad claimed.

He also criticised Ankara for backing calls for reform in Syria, while ignoring similar demands in other Arab countries.

"For example, by crying for the Syrian people in a two-faced manner, why isn't he also crying for those dying in the Gulf countries? Why isn't he interfering in those countries' problems with democracy?" Assad asked.

According to Assad's version of events, which departs from Turkish and other Western accounts, Damascus began to implement reforms shortly after Syrians began to protest in March 2011.

"If you ask Erdogan now, again he will say 'reform'. However, if he was sincere, he would have said the things he is saying now during our meetings in 2004. Now he is talking about all these reforms," Assad told Cumhuriyet.

"There is a double standard here," he said, adding that Erdogan's stance on Syria will damage his standing in the Arab world.

Further extracts from the interview are due to be published on 5 July.